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1936 


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Great  Strike  on  the  Q 


WITH 


a  history   op  the  organization  and  growth  of  the 
brotherhood  of  locomotive  engineers,  brother- 
hood of  locomotive  firemen,  and  switch- 
men's  mutual  aid  association 
of  north  america. 


BY 


3af\n  31  ♦  Hall, 

Ex-Tardmaster  C.  B.  &  Q.  Railway. 


18  89. 
ELLIOTT    k    BEEZLEY, 

Chicago  and  Philadelphia., 


Copyright,  1889, 

BY 

John  A.  Hall. 


13  \.W 


DEDICATION. 


A  history  of  the  spoliations,  robberies,  and 
oppressions  of  corporate  capital  in  America,  is  a  his- 
tory of  shame,  degredation  and  disgrace,  not  to  be 
obscured  in  the  halo  of  great  achievements  in  ma- 
terial progress,  though  adorned  by  the  splendid 
triumphs  of  science  and  art.  It  istrje  impersonation 
of  the  passion  of  avarice,  and  no  more  soul-debasing 
passion  afflicts  the  human  race,  It  becomes  more 
ravenous  the  more  its  maw  is  gorged;  it  always  and 
everlastingly  wants  more;  in  growth  it  never  reaches 
maturity. 

The  only  firry]  and  determined  resistance  that 
has  ever  confronted  this  power  lias  come  from  the 
widely  extended  but  fraternally  combined  labor 
organizations  of  the  country;  though  not  always 
successful  in  resistance,  they  have  ever  left  the 
enemy  too  feeble  to  follow  up  a  technical  victory. 

To  that  mighty  bulwark  that  will  yet  stem  the 
tide  of  corporate  greed,  and  insure  to  the  laborer  a 
fair  share  of  the  produce  of  his  toils,  this  book  is 
respectfully  dedicated. 

962992 


PREFACE. 


THE  cause  of  right  is  but  the  cause  of 
reason.  Let  all  men  reason  together,  and 
be  brothers.  Let  all  help  each  other  and  it 
will  be  easier  for  all. 

We  are  all  victims  of  monopoly,  and  it  lies 
within  our  own  efforts  to  reform  a  system  which 
enslaves  the  many  and  makes  heartless  misers 
of  the  few.  We  must  not  fear  a  thing  because 
it  seems  radical ;  truth  is  always  radical,  and 
every  advance  that  humanity  has  ever  made 
has  been  born  in  radicalism. 

To  act  upon  the  dictates  of  reason  is  to  be 
radical.  This  fearful  thing  called  radicalism  is 
the  hope  of  society.  With  it  you  will  bury  mo- 
nopoly, injustice  and  oppression. 

Him  the  world  calls  Master,  because  of 
His  worthiness, nobleness, manhood  and  justice, 
was  far  from  being  conservative.  He  espoused 
the  cause  of  the  poor,  the  weak  and  the  helpless 
against  the  rich,  the  strong,  and  the  powerful. 
Instead  of  favoring  and  fostering  the  existing 
evils  of  society,  He. sought  to  reform  them,  and 
set  into  motion  the  great  wheels  of  Christianity 


VI  PREFACE. 


that  are  rolling  over  the  whole  earth.  Let 
those  who  call  themselves  His  followers,  strive 
to  make  His  commands  practicable.  Let  them 
have  more  of  justice,  charity  and  humanity. 

ORGANIZATION. 

To  obtain  justice,  and  obtain  it  legally,  the 
weak  must  organize.  Whatever  may  be  the 
ideal  to  which  labor  reformers  aspire,  the  first 
step  must  be  organization.  This  is  living 
protest  against  monopoly  and  injustice,  and 
the  means  by  which  we  must  reform  our  social 
system,  if  we  would  last  as  a  nation. 

A  tramp  at  the  base  of  the  social  pyramid, 
and  a  millionaire  at  the  top,  argues  ill  for  the 
middle  classes.  With  the  foundation  rotten, 
and  the  summit  top-heavy,  the  whole  structure 
must  fall  or  be  rebuilt. 

Much  of  the  matter  contained  in  this 
book  came  under  the  personal  observation  of 
the  writer;  more  was  furnished  by  the 
Brotherhoods  and  the  correspondence  of  the 
strikers. 

Thanks  are  due  to  Chairmen  Hoge  and 
Murphy,  for  kindness  and  favors  rendered. 

Yours  Truly, 

JOHN   A.  HALL. 


The  Great  Strike  on  the  Q. 


This  work  should  properly  begin  with  a  short 
history  of  the  origin  and  growth  of  the  three  Orders 
whose  members  were  connected  with  the  strike  upon 
the  Burlington  s}'stem. 

Naturally  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  En- 
gineers should  come  first,  as  the  strike  originated 
with  them,  and  was  brought  about  by  the  injustice 
and  oppression  of  the  Burlington  Officials  toward 
this  Order. 

The  organization  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomo- 
tive Engineers  originated  in  the  State  of  Michigan,  in 
the  year  1863.  For  some  years  before  that  time,  the 
locomotive  engineers  on  various  roads  throughout  the 
country  had  cause  for  serious  complaints  owing  to 
the  treatment  they  received  at  the  hands  of  railroad 
officials.  It  was  felt  that  the  men  handling  the 
locomotives  on  the  growing  railroad  system  of  America 
were  performing  important  duties  that  required 
good,  responsible  men,  and  deserved  fair  and  honor- 
able treatment,  which,  in  many  instances,  was  not 
given.  The  tendency  of  many  railroad  officers, 
in    fact,    was    to    degrade     engineers,    and     refuse 


8  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

them  the  justice  and  fair  dealing  which  is  their 
just  due.  The  immediate  cause  of  the  formation  of  the 
Order  was  the  harsh  treatment  received  by  the  engi- 
neers employed  on  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad  from 
the  superintendent  of  motive  power  of  that  road.  The 
disposition  manifested  by  him  to  wage  a  remorseless 
war  upon  the  best  interests  of  labor,  and  especially  his 
incroachments  upon  the  established  rights  and  usages 
of  the  engineers  in  the  employ  of  that  company,  and 
the  reduction  of  their  pay,  at  length  became  insufferable, 
and  the  engineers,  as  a  class,  became  satisfied  that 
the  safety  of  their  pecuniary  interests  demanded  a 
unity  of  purpose  and  combined  organization.  A  meet- 
ing was  held,  composed  of  engineers  employed  by  the 
Michigan  Central  Railroad,  and  the  result  of  their  de- 
liberations, at  this  primary  meeting,  was  a  call  for  a 
Convention  of  Engineers,  to  meet  in  the  city  of  Detroit, 
on  the  fifth  of  the  ensuing  month,  May.  The  call 
was  extended  only  to  the  engineers  on  the  following 
roads :  The  Michigan  Central,  Michigan  Southern  & 
Northern  Indiana,  Detroit  &  Milwaukee,  Grand  Trunk 
on  the  American  side,  and  the  Detroit  Branch  of  the 
Michigan  Southern.  At  the  Convention,  the  Michigan 
Southern  &  Northern  Indiana  was  represented  by 
F.  Avery,  L.  Wheeler  and  John  Kennedy;  the  De- 
troit Branch  of  that  road  by  T.  Wartsrnouth  and  E. 
Nichols;  the  Detroit  &  Milwaukee  by  H.  Higgins; 
the  Grand  Trunk  by  B.  Northrup ;  and  Geo.  Q.  Adams 
represented  the  Eastern  Division  of  the  Michigan  Cen- 
tral, and  "W.  D.  Robinson  the  Middle  Division  of  the 
same  road.     With  but  little  formality  in  their  organi- 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  9 

zation,  these  delegates  entered  upon  their  duties.  A 
Constitution  and  By-Laws,  embodying  the  fundamental 
principles  of  our  present  organization,  was  adopted. 

The  necessity  of  something  further  on  the  part  of 
engineers  than  the  common  consent  to  become  and  re- 
main members  of  this  organization  so  long  as  suited 
their  convenience,  and  no  longer,  became  apparent  to 
minds  of  the  delegates,  and  an  obligation,  as  a  bond 
of  union,  was  unanimously  adopted,  and  on  the  8th  of 
May,  1863,  a  band  of  twelve  engineers,  the  delegates 
included,  joined  hands  and  pledged  themselves  to  sup- 
port the  Constitution  and  By-Laws  then  adopted,  and 
to  resist  the  wrong  and  maintain  the  right.  Officers 
were  elected,  and  Division  No.  1,  of  Detroit,  Brother- 
hood of  the  Foot-Board,  stood  forth  as  the  pioneer  in 
the  work  of  the  regeneration  and  elevation  of  the  loco- 
motive engineers  on  this  continent,  eager  to  extend 
the  hand  of  fellowship  and  alliance  to  all  worthy  mem- 
bers of  the  craft  who  had  any  faith  in  their  rights  as 
a  class  and  a  belief  that  in  organized  action  alone 
rested  a  hope  of  vindication.  The  organization  of  Di- 
visions soon  began,  and  in  three  months  ten  Divisions 
had  sprung  into  existence. 

At  this  time,  the  Chief  Engineer  of  Division  No. 
1  issued  a  call  for  a  meeting  of  one  delegate  from 
each  Division,  to  meet  at  Detroit  August  18,  1863,  for 
the  purpose  of  forming  a  Grand  Nation?1  Division, 
Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers.  At  this  meet- 
ing, the  Constitution  and  By-Laws  were  changed  and 
provisions  made  for  the  formation  and  government  of 
a  Grand   National  Division.      W.  D.  Bobinson  was 


10  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

elected  Grand  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Order,  and  served 
in  that  capacity  until  August  20,  1864,  at  which  time 
there  were  thirty-eight  Sub-Divisions,  covering  the 
railroads  from  Michigan,  through  Indiana,  Illinois, 
Ohio,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Pennsylvania,  New  Jer- 
sey and  New  York.  Charles  Wilson,  the  second  Grand 
Chief  Engineer,  was  elected  to  succeed  W.  D.  Bobin- 
son,  and  continued  in  office  until  February  25,  1874. 

At  a  special  session  of  the  Grand  International 
Division,  held  in  the  city  of  Cleveland,  P.  M.  Arthur, 
the  present  incumbent,  was  elected  his  successor,  and 
re  elected  at  the  close  of  each  term  of  three  years  to 
the  present  time,  executing  the  duties  of  the  office 
with  such  success  and  judgment  that  the  Order  has 
continued  to  grow  and  improve,  until  it  now  numbers 
three  hundred  and  sixty  Sub-Divisions  with  25,000 
members,  and  covers  every  railroad  and  every  State 
and  Territory  in  the  United  States,  as  well  as  a  large 
part  of  the  British  Provinces  and  Mexico.  We  be- 
lieve that  the  law  of  the  Order,  enforced  by  him,  of 
"doing  by  others  as  we  would  be  done  by,"  is  the  only 
true  solution  to  the  labor  problem  of  the  present 
day. 

In  these  days  of  strikes  and  increasing  labor  agi- 
tation, the  course  adopted  by  them  has  proved  to  be 
unquestionably  the  best,  and  to  that  alone  we  ascribe 
the  great  success  that  has  attended  their  efforts  and 
made  their  Order  known  and  respected  everywhere. 
This  course  is,  that  any  differences  between  members 
and  their  employers  shall  be  settled  by  arbitration. 
St.  Paul  says,  "  Come,  let  us  reason  together ;"  and 


THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q.  11 

this  advice  they  have  found  to  be  so  good  that  they 
have  it  to  say,  that  never  since  its  adoption  by  them 
have  they  resorted  to  a  strike  when  the  officials  of  a 
company  where  dissatisfaction  existed  would  receive 
and  treat  with  our  committee. 


Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Firemen. 


The  organization  known  as  the  Brotherhood  of 
Locomotive  Firemen  was  organized  at  Port  Jervis, 
N.  Y.,  December  1,  1873,  and  is  consequently  fif- 
teen years  old. 

The  following  "Preamble"  to  the  Constitution 
explains  the  aims  and  objects  of  the  Order : 

For  the  purpose  of  uniting  Locomotive  Firemen,  and 
elevating  their  social,  moral  and  intellectual  standing,  and 
for  the  protection  of  their  interests  and  the  promotion  of 
their  general  welfare,  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Fire- 
men has  been  organized. 

The  interests  of  our  members  and  their  employers  be- 
ing identical,  we  recognize  the  necessity  of  co-operation, 
and  it  is  the  aim  of  the  Brotherhood  to  cultivate  a  spirit  of 
harmony  between  them,  upon  a  basis  of  mutual  justice. 

Kealizing  the  fact  that  our  vocation  involves  ceaseless 
peril, and  that  it  is  a  duty  we  owe  to  ourselves  and  our  families 
to  make  suitable  provision  against  these  disasters  which  al- 
most daily  overtake  us  on  the  rail,  the  necessity  of  protect- 
ing our  interests  as  firemen  and  of  extending  to  each  other 
the  hand  of  charity,  and  being  sober,  industrious  and  honor- 
able men,  becomes  self-evident:  And,  hence,  the  Brotherhood 
has  adopted  as  its  cardinal  principles,  the  motto:  "Protec- 
tion, Charity,  Sobriety  and  Industry." 

The  organization  wTas  formed  by  eleven  men  on 
the    Erie    Bailroad,    and   the   first  Lodge   numbered 


12  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    OX    THE    Q. 

eleven  men.  Its  growth  and  development  has  been 
phenomenal ;  starting  with  that  first  Lodge  of  eleven 
men  in  New  York,  the  organization  expanded  into 
immense  proportions,  with,  lodges  in  every  State  and 
Territory  of  the  Union,  covering  Canada  and  extend- 
ing into  Mexico. 

There  are  at  present  385  subordinate  lodges,  with 
a  membership  of  19,000  men.  The  rapid  growth  fully 
demonstrates  the  necessity  for  its  existence.  It  might 
be  supposed  that  this  phenomenal  increase  would  be  a 
source  of  weakness,  instead  of  strength.  Such,  however, 
is  not  the  case.  The  Brotherhood  of  Firemen  has  never, 
at  anytime,  been  unwieldy,  but  on  the  contrary  the 
addition  of  each  new  lodge  has  been  so  wrell  assimulated 
by  the  whole,  that  this  body  of  19,000  is  as  compact, 
firm  and  as  thoroughly  under  control  as  a  division  of 
the  Regular  Army.  Another  grand  element  of  strength 
is  the  fact  that  there  is  no  aristocracy  in  the  Order. 

It  must  not  be  thought  that  all  has  been  clear 
and  smooth  sailing  wTith  the  Brotherhood  of  Firemen ; 
this  great  result  has  been  won  bv  vears  of  incessant 
labor  by  earnest,  determined  men,  with  confidence  in 
themselves  and  in  the  justice  of  their  cause.  Prob- 
ably no  organization  has  had  a  harder  struggle  for  ex- 
istence ;  it  has  experienced  serious  reverses  ;  the  year 
of  its  birth  wras  the  year  of  the  great  commercial  panic. 
Born  and  nutured  in  adversity,  it  has  steadily  worked 
its  way  to  the  front.  In  1877  the  country  was  agi- 
tated from  Maine  to  California  by  labor  troubles,  and 
labor  organizations  received  a  severe  check,  and 
an   unsettled    condition   existed    for    several    years. 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  13 


tc 


Seventy-eight ,:  and  '"79"  were  critical  periods,  and 
were  years  of  anxiety  for  the  safety  of  the  Brotherhood. 
Starting  in  1873  as  a  purely  benevolent  institution, 
it  developed  into  a  labor  organization  in  1885,  retain- 
ing, however,  all  of  its  moral  and  benevolent  features 
intact.  There  are  no  State  organizations  in  this 
Brotherhood.  It  is  governed  by  a  Grand  Lodge  com- 
posed of  a  Grand  Master,  Vice-Grand  Master,  Grand 
Secretary  and  Treasurer,  Editor  and  Manager  of  the 
Magazine,  Grand  Executive  Board  of  five  members, 
and  a  Board  of  Grand  Trustees,  consisting  of  three 
members. 

OFFICERS. 

The  first  Grand  Master  was  J.  A.  Leach,  now  re- 
siding in  Kansas  City ;  the  first  Grand  Secretary  and 
Treasurer  was  Wm.  N.  Sayre,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y. ;  second 
Grand  Master,  W.  B.  Worth,  followed  in  succession 
by  F.  B.  Alley  and  W.  T.  Goundie  (now  General  Man- 
ager of  the  New  York  Elevated  Bailway),  and  F.  W. 
Arnold.  S.  M.  Stevens,  of  Lowell,  Mass.,  was,  for  sev- 
eral years,  Grand  Organizer  and  Instructor,  succeeded 
in  1885  by  J.  J.  Hannahan,  of  Englewood,  111.,  who  now 
holds  that  office  in  connection  with  that  of  Vice-Grand 
Master. 

The  present  officers  are:  F.  P.  Sargent,  Grand 
Master,  Terre  Haute,  Ind. ;  J.  J.  Hannahan, Vice-Grand 
Master  and  Grand  Organizer  and  Instructor,  Engle- 
wood, 111. ;  Eugene  V.  Debs,  Grand  Secretary  and 
Treasurer,  Terre  Haute,  Ind. ;  H.  H.  Walton  is  Chair- 
man of  the  Grand  Executive  Board,  Philadelphia,  Pa. ; 
W.  E.  Burns,    Secretary,  Chicago,    111.;    the  Grand 


14  THE  GREAT  STRIKE  OX  THE  Q. 

Executive  Board  is  composed  of  J.  J.  Leahy,  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.;  W.  H.  McDonnell,  Scranton,  Pa. ;  F. 
Holl,  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  and  C.  TV.  Gardner,  Fort 
Dodge,  la. 

The  circulation  of  the  Magazine,  the  official  organ 
of  the  Brotherhood  is  26,000  copies. 

BENEVOLENCE  OUTSIDE  OF  THE  ORDER. 

Standing  squarely  on  the  broad  principles  of 
Benevolence  and  Human  Justice,  this  Order  has  ever 
extended  the  helping  hand  and  given  counsel  and 
assistance  to  the  laboring  man  in  his  struggle  for  inde- 
pendence. The  Brotherhood  of  Railway  Brakemen 
owe  much  to  the  B.  of  L.  F.,  and  never  in  its  history 
has  the  B.  of  L.  F.  opposed  itself  to  labor  organiza- 
tion. Piemembering  their  own  desperate  struggle  for 
existence,  charity,  sympathy  and  aid  have  been  freely 
given  to  younger  organizations. 

Ever  foremost  in  the  battle  for  justice  and  right, 
it  was  the  first  to  call  attention  to  the  imperative 
necessity  for  federation  of  railroad  employes.  The 
strike  upon  the  "Q"  has  demonstrated  the  absolute 
need  of  federation. 

GRAND  MASTER  SARGENT. 

The  following  extract  from  the  address  of  Grand 

Master  Sargent,  at  Minneapolis,  three  years  ago,  covers 

many  of   the  points  in  controversy  to-day,  and  will  be 

found  interesting  to  the  public  : 

The  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Firemen  ask  nothing 
that  is  not  just;  we  do  not  want  one  penny  more  than  we 
rightfully  earn;  we  believe  that  our  calling  is  one  that  should 
command  good  wages  for  faithful  service,  and  we  desire  also 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  115 

that  all  our  members  shall  render  such  service.  We  recog- 
nize the  fact  that  our  employer  has  certain  rights  that 
we,  as  employes,  are  bound  to  respect,  and  it  is  never 
our  purpose  to  antagonize.  Justice  is  our  motto — justice 
not  only  to  ourselves,  but  to  our  employer.  I  believe 
that  if  organizations  of  labor  keep  in  mind  that  great  prin- 
ciple, and  are  officered  by  men  that  are  conservative,  that  are 
willing  to  work  at  both  sides  of  a  question  and  settle  on  a 
basis  of  equal  justice  to  both  employer  and  employe,  and 
when  the  employer  will  be  willing  to  treat  his  employe  with 
that  spirit  of  fairness  which  is  due  all  faithful  workmen,  rec- 
ognizing in  them  men  of  intelligence,  capable  of  knowing 
right  from  wrong,  that  strikes  and  strife  will  seldom  come, 
and  if  they  do,  it  will  be  when  every  well-thinking  man  that 
has  the  true  principle  of  manhood  will  endorse  the  organi- 
zation struggling  for  its  rights.  I  desire  the  members  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Firemen  to  so  conduct  them- 
selves that  when  they  go  before  a  General  Manager,  Superin- 
tendent or  Master  Mechanic,  they  will  meet  with  those  court- 
esies due  a  manly  man.  I  want  General  Managers,  Superin- 
tendents and  Master  Mechanics  to  feel  that  they  have  in  a 
member  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Firemen  a  faith- 
ful employe,  one  they  can  place  confidence  in,  and  when  he 
comes  to  them  in  a  respectful  way,  and  lays  before  them  a 
grievance,  that  they  will  give  him  a  hearing  and  render  him 
justice. 

Our  system  of  adjusting  grievances  is  by  arbitration, 
believing  this  is  the  only  sure  method  of  preserving  har- 
mony between  employer  and  employe.  If  at  any  time  we  feel 
aggrieved,  we  make  a  statement  of  our  grievance  and  place 
it  in  the  hands  of  the  Grievance  Committee  of  the  local  Lodge. 
The  chairman  of  this  committee,  through  its  secretary,  calls 
the  committee  together,  and  examines  into  the  merits  of  the 
grievance,  and  if  considered  just,  the  committee  so  reports 
to  the  Lodge  with  proper  recommendations,  and  if  the  Lodge 
considers  the  grievance  worthy  of  action,  it  orders  the  com- 
mittee to  proceed  to  adjust  the  matter.  The  committee  then 
calls  on  the  Master  Mechanic  and  Superintendent,  and  in  a 
gentlemanly  manner  lay  the  grievance  before  them,  and  if 
possible  arrive  at  a  satisfactory  settlement.  If  the  Master 
Mechanic  and  Superintendent  have  not  the  power,  or  show 
2 


16  THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q. 

no  disposition  to  treat  with  the  committee,  they  go  to  the 
General  Manager,  from  him  to  the  President,  and  so  on  until 
all  means  have  been  exhausted  to  secure  an  adjustment.  If 
they  fail,  they  then  send  for  their  chief  executive,  and  on  his 
arrival,  he,  in  conjunction  with  the  committee,  again  uses  all 
means  within  reason  to  effect  a  settlement.  Failing  again, 
it  then  lies  in  the  power  of  the  Grand  Master  to  order  the 
men  to  quit  work,  or,  in  more  plain  terms,  to  strike.  Now, 
the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Firemen  have  been  in  exist- 
ence nearly  thirteen  years,  and  during  that  time  we  have  not 
been  involved  in  a  single  strike.  We  believe  that  the  conserv- 
ative stand  that  has  always  been  taken,  and  the  intelligence 
of  the  men  that  have  been  our  leaders  and  committees  have 
been  the  means  of  making  this  record .  It  has  been  said  that 
firemen  would  never  be  recognized  by  railway  officials  in  the 
adjustment  of  wages  or  the  settlement  of  grievances.  I  de- 
sire to  dispel  any  such  opinion  from  the  minds  of  all.  During 
the  last  year  we  have  had  a  large  number  of  our  committees 
wait  on  Presidents  and  General  Managers,  and  in  every 
instance  they  were  cordially  treated  and  received  a  satisfac- 
tory advance  of  pay,  and  the  result  is  that  firemen  are  looked 
upon  by  officials  as  men  capable  of  reasoning,  that  they  are 
qualified  to  go  before  a  President  or  General  Manager  and 
discuss  questions  relative  to  their  vocation  better  than  men 
that  are  not  following  the  same  occupation,  even  though 
they  ride  upon  the  same  engine. 

The  Brotherhood  feels  proud  of  its  record,  and  it  is  our 
purpose  to  carry  forward  our  good  work  in  the  same  straight- 
forward manner.  "We  ask  nothing  of  our  employer  but  what 
is  reasonable,  believing  that  it  is  the  policy  of  the  railway 
managers  of  the  present  day  to  treat  with  their  employes  in  a 
fair  and  liberal  manner.  It  has  been  my  experience,  during 
the  limited  time  that  I  have  been  connected  with  railroads, 
that  most  of  the  dissatisfaction  that  arises  between  employer 
and  employe  originates  from  the  overbearing,  tyrannical  action 
of  some  petty  foreman,  ofttimes  a  Master  Mechanic,  and  em- 
ployes censure  the  officials,  and  sometimes  affairs  assume  a 
serious  aspect,  when,  if  the  employe  wpuld  go  to  the  proper 
authority — the  President  or  General  Manager — and  lay  his 
grievance  before  them,  he  would  get  immediate  satisfaction. 
Ofttimes  the  officials  know  nothing  of  the  existence  of  any 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  17 

dissatisfaction  until  they  are  informed  that  the  employe  has 
struck  ;  then  it  is  too  late  to  present  the  true  situation  to  the 
official,  who,  having  had  no  intimation  of  trouble,  feels 
greatly  incensed  at  the  action  of  the  employe,  and  immedi- 
ately turns  against  him,  when,  had  the  facts  been  presented  to 
him,  the  foreman  or  the  petty  boss  that  caused  the  dissatis- 
faction would  have  been  looking  for  employment,  while  the 
employe  would  have  had  justice.  There  is  only  one  way  to 
adjust  our  grievances,  and  that  is  by  a  careful  statement  to 
the  proper  authority.  Then,  if  we  fail  to  obtain  satisfaction, 
we  can  feel  that  we  have  done  our  duty,  and  the  responsibil- 
ity rests  with  employer,  not  employe.  During  the  past  few 
months  we  have  observed  in  many  localities  troubles  between 
employer  and  employe.  The  cry  has  always  been,  Labor 
fighting  capital.  Capital  is  not  the  enemy  of  labor  ;  it  is  not 
capital  that  labor  is  opposing  ;  it  is  the  monopolist,  and  such 
a  monopolist  grinds  down  the  laboring  man  to  starvation 
wages  in  order  that  he  may  enrich  his  own  coffers.  Labor  is 
the  creator  of  capital,  and  as  such  there  can  be  no  strife  between 
them.  It  is  the  monopolists  that  control  capital  that  antag- 
onizes the  laborer,  and  compels  him  to  work  for  scarcely 
enough  to  keep  his  family  in  food  ;  and  it  is  those  monopo- 
lists that  to-day  have  capital  bound  in  chains  and  separated 
from  its  creator — labor.  For  years  laboring  men  have  been 
subject  to  reductions  in  wages  until,  in  many  instances,  the 
amount  of  their  daily  earnings  would  scarcely  buy  food  suffi- 
cient to  sustain  life.  Men  of  liberal  views  have  observed  this 
state  of  affairs,  and  many  of  our  great  thinkers  have  exam- 
ined into  this  question,  and,  becoming  convinced  that  it  was 
wrong  to  allow  their  fellow-men  to  be  trodden  down  by  a 
class  of  men  that  have  only  one  ambition,  and  that  is  to  control 
all  the  capital  of  the  land,  have  organized  for  the  purpose  of 
getting  for  the  laborer,  the  creator  of  the  vast  wealth  of  this 
country,  a  reasonable  day's  pay  for  a  reasonable  day's  work; 
not  to  antagonize  capital,  but  to  ask  that  he  who  creates  the 
wealth  of  the  land  shall  have  at  least  enough  to  clothe  and 
feed  his  family  and  live  in  a  respectable  little  home.  To  be 
sure,  there  have  many  things  occurred  during  the  iDast  few 
months  that  have  caused  some  of  these  organizations  of  labor 
to  be  looked  upon  with  suspicion,  and  there  are  many  that 
stand  ready  to  condemn  them.    But  let  us  not  be  too  severe  ; 


18  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

we  have  all  made  mistakes,  and  we  should  always  be  willing 
to  concede  to  others  what  we  ask  for  ourselves — charity ;  and 
let  us  be  charitable  to  those  that  during  the  past  year  have 
been  involved  in  difficulties  with  their  employers. 

The  members  are  not  to  be  censured  for  all  that  is  done 
by  these  organizations.  Officers  that  wield  the  power  can 
involve  an  Order  in  difficulty  by  making  unjust  demands. 
Men  ought  never  to  be  placed  at  the  head  of  these  labor  organ- 
izations who  are  unprincipled  or  unjust.  Place  men  there 
who  will  work  to  the  interests  of  those  they  represent,  and  at 
all  times  avoid  conflict  when  it  is  uncalled  for.  I  am  con- 
vinced that  the  labor  troubles  of  the  past  few  months  have 
been  beneficial  to  us  all,  notwithstanding  there  have  been 
many  wrongs  committed,  many  lives  lost  and  much  property 
destroyed.  This  we  all  deplore,  and  any  Order  that  sanctions 
any  such  actions  on  the  part  of  ils  members  should  bs  con- 
demned. We  believe  that  the  trouble  we  have  experienced  will 
teach  a  lesson  to  all  organizations  of  labor.  "We  cannot  be 
too  careful  whom  we  admit  to  our  Order,  one  bad  man  may 
ruin  a  whole  Lodge.  Look  well  to  a  man's  character  and 
standing  before  you  admit  him,  and  then  you  will  find  that  in 
all  his  duties  he  will  do  right  and  bring  credit  to  himself  and 
the  Order.  In  admitting  only  such  men,  we  may  hope  to  re- 
ceive the  endorsement  of  all  good  people. 

"We  turn  to  ourConstitution,  and  there  read  in  the  pream- 
ble: "For  the  purpose  of  effecting  a  unity  of  Firemen,  and 
ele\ating  them  to  a  higher  social,  moral  and  intellectual 
standard,  and  for  the  promotion  of  their  general  welfare,  and 
the  protection  of  their  families,  the  Brotherhood  has  been 
organized.'' 

Let  these  words  be  engraven  upon  the  hearts,  not  only 
of  our  membership,  but  the  great  public,  so  that  our  aims 
may  be  understood  and  our  ambitions  appreciated.  Our 
preamble  voices  the  sublime  sentiments  of  our  fraternity,  and 
we  trust  they  may  touch  a  responsive  chord  in  the  hearts  of 
all  good  people. 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  19 


Switchmen's  Mutual  Aid  Association  of 
North  America. 


This  Association  is  growing  rapidly  in  influence 
and  numbers.  It  is  now  one  of  the  most  powerful 
labor  organizations  on  this  continent.  The  large  field 
from  which  it  draws  its  membership,  the  character  of 
its  members,  and  the  care  exercised  in  admitting 
none  but  the  right  type  of  men,  the  energy  and  deter- 
mination of  each  individual,  and,  above  all  other  con- 
siderations, the  absolute  equality  guaranteed  by  its 
Constitution  and  unwritten  laws,  warrant  the  assertion 
that  this  Association  must  soon  stand  among  the  first 
in  the  list  of  labor  organizations. 

OBJECT. 

The  preamble  to  the  Constitution  reads  as  fol- 
lows: 

1st.  Is  to  unite  and  promote  the  general  welfare  and 
advance  the  interests,  social,  moral  and  intellectual,  of  its 
members.  Benevolence,  very  needful  in  a  calling  as  hazard- 
ous as  ours,  has  led  to  the  organization  of  this  Association. 

2d.  Believing  that  it  is  for  the  best  interests,  both  of 
our  members  and  their  employers,  that  a  good  understanding 
should  at  all  times  exist  between  them,  it  will  be  the  constant 
endeavor  of  this  Association  to  establish  mutual  confidence 
and  create  and  maintain  harmonious  relations  between  em- 
ployer and  employe. 

3d.  Such  are  the  aims  and  purposes  of  the  Switchmen's 
Mutual  Aid  Association  of  North  America. 

Benevolence  is  its  corner-stone, — to  relieve  the 
distress  of  disabled  brothers,  to  care  for  their  widows 


20  THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q. 

and  orphans,  and  to  see  to  the    decent  burial  of  de- 
ceased members. 

The  National  Association,  strong  as  it  is  in  num- 
bers, is  but  little  over  three  years  old. 

The»  first  Switchmen's  Union  was  founded  in 
Chicago,  on  August  18,  IS 77.  That  was  a  local  soci- 
ety, and  was  chartered  by  the  State  of  Illinois.  The 
charter  members  were — Edward  W.  Jennings,  Thos. 
Griffin,  James  Cullerton,  Wm.  Hopper,  Thaddeus 
Boyd,  Thos.  Green,  Edward  Scanlon,  John  Kenny, 
Wm.  Short,  Chas.  Eichardson,  Wm.  Eosencranse  and 
John  Eeily.  The  officers  were — WTm.  Hopper,  Presi- 
dent ;  Thaddeus  Boyd,  Vice-President ;  Thos.  Griffin, 
James  Cullerton  and  Edward  Jennings,  Trustees. 

While  for  several  years  the  Union  made  little 
headway,  it  succeeded  in  maintaining  a  nucleus  for 
something  better.  In  1881:,  new  life  was  instilled  into 
it  by  the  demands  and  spirit  of  the  times,  coupled 
with  the  selection  of  a  set  of  officers  with  unusual 
energy,  ability  and  determination.  Eapid  growth,  and 
the  creation  and  dissemination  of  sentiments  of  organi- 
zation were  the  immediate  results.  Other  cities  fol- 
lowed Chicago's  example,  and  very  soon  there  were  a 
number  of  flourishing  Unions  throughout  the  United 
States. 

Then  the  necessity  of  a  National  organization 
became  manifest.  Several  Unions,  moved  by  the 
same  spirit,  took  hold  of  this  matter  about  the  same 
time.  A  call  for  a  meeting  of  delegates  of  the  various 
local  bodies,  to  meet  at  112  East  Eandolph  street, 
Chicago,  on  February  22,  1886,  was  issued,  and  in  re- 


THE    GRExVT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  21 

sponse  thereto  a  large  assemblage  of  representative 
switchmen  met  at  the  place  on  the  clay  named. 
The  meeting  lasted  eight  days,  and  was  quite  harmo- 
nious and  exceedingly  enthusiastic.  The  Convention 
was  called  to  order  by  Mr.  John  Drury,  who  stated  that 
the  object  was  to  amalgamate  the  different  organiza- 
tions into  one  grand  body,  whose  authority  should  ex- 
tend throughout  the  United  States.  The  Convention 
was  duly  organized  by  the  election  of  Mr.  John  Drury 
as  Chairman,  Mr.  James  A.  Healey,  of  Chicago,  as  Sec- 
retary, Mr.  Joseph  D.  Hill,  of  Kansas  City,  Reading 
Clerk,  and  Mr.  M.  J.  Keegan,  Sergeant-at-Arms.  A 
Constitution  and  By-Laws  were  adopted,  and  the  follow- 
ing grand  officers  elected  for  the  current  year :  Grand 
Master,  James  L.  Monaghan;  Vice-Grand  Master  and 
Instructor,  John  Drury ;  Grand  Secretary  and  Treas- 
urer, John  Downey.  Board  of  Directors,  M.  J.  Keegan, 
of  Chicago ;  James  A.  Kelly,  of  Chicago ;  W.  A.  Sim- 
mons, of  Chicago ;  James  A.  Healey,  of  Chicago ; 
Joseph  D.  Hill,  of  Kansas  City;  J.  L.  Hyer,  of  Bock 
Island,  and  W.  B.  Davison,  of  Joliet.  A  great  deal 
of  important  business  was  transacted  in  secret  session 
pertaining  to  the  Order,  after  which  the  Grand  Lodge 
resolved  to  aid  Mr.  C.  B.  Wooldridge  in  the  publica- 
tion of  a  monthly  magazine  devoted  to  the  interests  of 
the  Order.  A  uniform  pin  was  adopted,  and  an  in- 
vitation to  attend  the  second  annual  ball,  given  by 
local  Lodge  No.  1,  in  honor  of  the  Grand  Lodge,  was 
accepted  with  thanks.  The  Convention  then  ad- 
journed, to  meet  in  Kansas  City,  Monday,  September 
20,  1886. 


22  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

James  L.  Monaghan,  the  first  Grand  Master, 
graduated  from  the  public  schools  of  Philadelphia, 
and  studied  law  for  two  years,  Bad  health,  however, 
compelled  him  to  abandon  an  indoor  life,  and  he  took 
to  railroading.  He  first  did  duty  as  a  clerk,  but 
found  that  was  little  better  for  him  than  the  law,  and 
he  then  entered  the  service  as  a  switchman  on  the  P., 
W.  &  B.  Piy.  He  came  West  in  1879,  and  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  switchmen  and  their 
organizations  until  November,  1SS8,  when  he  was 
elected  to  the  lower  house  of  the  Illinois  Legislature. 
He  was  succeeded  in  the  office  by  Frank  Sweeney,  of 
Minneapolis. 

John  Drury,  the  first  Vice-Grand  Master,  is  an 
Englishman.  He  first  entered  upon  railroad  work  as 
a  brakeman  on  the  Grand  Trunk  of  Canada.  As  an 
organizer  during  the  early  days,  John  Drury  was  em- 
nently  successful,  and  the  Association  progressed  in  a 
surprising  manner  during  the  first  year  of  its  National 
existence.  The  First  Annual  Convention  was  held  at 
Kansas  City,  September  20,  1886,  and  was  composed 
of  delegates  from  twenty-five  Lodges.  This  repre- 
sented the  growth  of  the  Order  for  one  year. 

The  important  business  of  the  complete  recon- 
struction of  the  Constitution  and  By-Laws  to  keep 
pace  with  the  growing  propensities  of  the  Associa- 
tion, was  the  result  of  that  body's  deliberations. 

The  Second  Annual  Convention  was  held  at  In- 
dianapolis, September  19,  1887.  The  result  of  this 
meeting  was  a  still  further  revision  of  the  laws,  and 


THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q.  23 

the  election  of  Wm.  A.  Simsrott  as  Grand  Secretary 
and  Treasurer. 

At  the  Third  Annual  Convention  at  St.  Louis,  in 
September,  1888,  Frank  Sweeney,  of  Minneapolis, 
was  elected  Grand  Master ;  John  Downey,  of  Chicago, 
Vice-Grand  Master;  Geo.  S.  Bailey,  Grand  Organizer 
and  Instructor.  John  W.  Callahan,  Chicago,  111. ;  Ed- 
ward Hutchinson,  Chicago,  111. ;  S.  K.  Hardin,  St. 
Louis,  Mo. ;  John  M.  Kelley,  Fort  Wayne,  Ind. ;  Jas. 
F.  Scullen,  Omaha,  Neb.,  Grand  Board  of  Directors. 

Grand  Master  Frank  Sweeney  was  born  in  Zanes- 
ville,  0.,  in  1855.  His  parents  moved  West  in  1860, 
and  located  at  Monroe,  Wis.  He  received  a  common- 
school  education,  and  for  a  time  studied  medicine. 
He  disliked  the  profession,  however,  and  soon  aban- 
doned it  and  entered  the  railway  service.  His  first  rail- 
roading was  in  the  capacity  of  brakeman  on  the  M.  & 
St.  P.  After  braking  on  several  roads  for  the  period 
of  four  years,  he  began  switching  in  the  yard  of  the 
Minneapolis  &  St.  Louis  in  1886.  At  that  time  there 
were  but  three  switch  engines  in  Minneapolis.  He 
has  been  in  the  yard  service  in  that  city  ever  since, 
until  elevated  to  the  position  of  Grand  Master  of  the 
Order.  He  was  one  of  the  active  men  that  organized 
Lodge  No.  30,  and  was  elected  a  delegate  to  the  Sec- 
ond Annual  Convention,  held  in  Indianapolis,  in 
1887.  At  that  session  he  was  elected  Vice-Grand 
Master  of  the  Association,  and  his  recent  elevation  to 
the  highest  position  in  the  Order  speaks  better  than 
words  as  to  what  opinion  the  switchmen  have  of  him. 
He  was  instrumental  in  organizing  the  Northwest,  and 


24  THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  TEE  Q. 

won  the  admiration  of  the  switchmen  of  the  country 
by  his  intelligent  and  conservative  handling  of  ques- 
tions that  arose  in  that  locality. 

Grand  Secretary  and  Treasurer  William  A.  Sims- 
rott  was  born  in  Chicago  in  1861,  and  has  the  hustle 
characteristic  of  the  average  Chicagoan.  He  received 
a  common-school  education,  and  began  his  railroad- 
ing in  1878  as  a  clerk  on  the  P.,  Ft.  W.  &  C.  Rail- 
way. In  1882  he  entered  the  yards  of  the  Chicago 
&  Western  Indiana  Eailway  as  a  switchman.  In 
1883  he  entered  the  service  of  the  L.,  N.  A.  &  C. 
Eailway,  and  continued  with  that  road  until  elected 
to  the  office  of  Grand  Secretary  and  Treasurer.  He 
was  a  yardmaster  at  the  time  of  leaving  the  com- 
pany's employ.  He  was  accej)ted  in  Lodge  No.  1  in 
1883,  and  in  a  few  months  elected  to  the  office  of 
Financial  Secretary.  Mr.  Simsrott  was  one  of  the 
thirteen  that  established  the  Association  as  a  National 
organization,  and  was  a  delegate  from  Lodge  No.  1  to 
the  First  iinnual  Convention  at  Kansas  City  in  1886. 
At  this  Convention  he  was  chosen  as  one  of  the  Grand 
Board  of  Directors,  and  at  the  Second  Annual  Conven- 
tion, held  in  Indianapolis  in  1887,  he  was  elected  Grand 
Secretary  and  Treasurer.  None  have  shown  a  higher 
regard  for  the  good  of  the  Association  than  this  officer. 

Vice-Grand  Master  John  Downey  was  born  in 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  October,  12,  1853,  and  came  to  Chi- 
cago in  the  fall  of  1858.  He  received  a  common 
education,  and  in  the  winter  of  1869-70  commenced 
railroading.  He  first  began  braking  on  the  P.,  Ft. 
W.  &  C.  road,  but  soon  went  to  switching  in  the  Ft. 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  25 

Wayne  yards.  He  bad  not  been  there  long,  however, 
before  he  had  his  left  thumb  completely  shot  off  by 
the  accidental  discharge  of  a  shotgun  he  was  hand- 
ling. In  September,  1871,  he  lost  two  fingers  off  of 
the  right  hand,  after  which  he  went  to  tending 
switches  on  the  Ft.  Wayne.  In  1872  he  had  his 
right  foot  caught  and  lost  part  of  it,  and  1875  he  had 
his  left  foot  caught  and  so  severely  injured  that  it 
laid  him  up  for  six  months.  In  1876  he  went  brak- 
ing on  passenger  on  the  Ft.  Wayne,  where  he  re- 
mained for  nine  months,  when  he  went  braking 
on  freight,  and  1879  went  back  switching  in  the  Ft. 
Wayne  yards,  where  he  has  remained  ever  since. 

John  Downey  joined  Lodge  No.  1  in  September, 
1884,  and  was  soon  afterward  elected  Treasurer  of 
the  Lodge,  a  position  he  held  continuously  until  Oc- 
tober, 1887,  when  he  resigned.  He  was  elected  Grand 
Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  then  Switchmen's 
Mutual  Aid  Association  of  the  United  States  of  Amer- 
ica, at  its  first  Convention,  held  in  Chicago,  February 
22,  1886.  He  served  for  some  time  in  this  capacity, 
but  was  forced  to  resign,  owing  to  ill  health,  and  when 
W.  S.  Condon  absconded  with  all  the  money  of  the 
Grand  Lodge  he  was  asked  by  the  Board  of  Directors 
of  the  Grand  Lodge  to  fill  out  the  unexpired  term  as 
Grand  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  and  straighten  out 
the  tangled  financial  affairs  of  the  Grand  Lodge.  He 
responded  with  that  patriotism  he  is  noted  for,  and 
won  encomiums  from  all  connected  with  the  Associa- 
tion for  his  work.     He  has  represented  Lodge  No.  1 


26  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

in  the  Grand  Lodge  twice  —  Kansas  City  in  1886  and 
St.  Louis  in  1888. 

Grand  Organizer  and  Instructor  George  S.  Bailey 
was  born  in  Edgar  County,  Illinois,  in  1858.  After 
receiving  a  common-school  education,  he  studied  law 
for  some  time,  but  had  to  abandon  his  studies  on  ac- 
count of  ill  health.  He  commenced  railroading  in 
1878  on  the  I.  &  St.  L.  Eailway,  braking  on  local 
freight.  He  was  employed  as  a  switchman  in  East 
St.  Louis  a  number  of  years,  and  was  prominent  in 
the  great  railroad  strike  of  1886. 

When  the  "Q  "  strike  occurred,  he  was  selected 
to  go  over  a  portion  of  the  road  and  address  the  rail- 
road men.  He  spoke  at  Kansas  City,  St.  Joe,  Council 
Bluffs  and  other  western  points.  He  was  a  delegate 
from  Lodge  No.  37  at  the  Convention  of  1888,  and 
was  then  elected  to  his  present  position.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Illinois  Legislature  in  1886,  and  made 
a  creditable  record.  He  introduced,  and  had  passed 
through  the  House,  "  House  Bill  No.  268,"  which  pro- 
vided for  a  State  Board  of  Arbitration,  but  before  it 
reached  the  Senate  the  General  Assembly  had  ad- 
journed. Mr.  Bailey  is  full  of  energy  and  ability,  yet 
does  not  allow  his  enthusiasm  to  overbalance  his  good 
judgment.  He  has  the  faculty  of  controlling  men 
and  at  the  same  urging  them  on  to  a  sense  of  the 
duty  they  owe  to  themselves  and  those  dependent 
upon  them,  as  well  as  to  their  employers. 

It  has  been  but  a  few  months  since  the  Conven- 
tion of  1888,  and  already  fifteen  new  Lodges  have  been 


THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q.  27 

organized,  while  about  a  dozen  others  are  ready 
and  are  clamoring  for  admission  to  the  Association. 
The  whole  Eastern  section  of  the  country  yet  remains 
to  be  organized,  and  the  switchmen  throughout  that 
section  are  fully  alive  to  the  needs  of  the  hour.  The 
present  year  will  witness  the  addition  of  several  thou- 
sand earnest  men  to  the  Association. 

One  grand  element  of  strength  is  shown  by  this 
organization — namely :  The  absolute  equality  of  its 
members.  They  have  not  permitted  designing  men 
to  foster  and  establish  a  set  of  so-called  "High-Class 
Kuns"  among  them  to  breed  discord  and  disunion. 
One  switchman  is  the  same  as  another,  and  a  thou- 
sand are  but  as  one,  in  all  the  essential  points  that 
originally  brought  them  together.  Other  railway 
labor  organizations  have  allowed  grades  and  castes  to 
grow  up  in  their  Orders,  those  of  the  lower  grade  hav- 
ing scarcely  any  rights  that  the  others  are  bound  to 
respect  and  assist  them  to  maintain.  Not  so  with  the 
switchmen ;  the  young  blood  in  their  Association  will 
enable  them  to  steer  clear  of  the  rocks  and  shoals  that 
are  sadly  trying  the  timbers  of  the  older  Orders. 

In  the  strike  upon  the  Burlington  system  this 
Association  was  not  officiallv  connected,  and  had  no 
part  whatever  in  the  management  or  final  settlement 
of  that  trouble. 

"  We  know  what  Master  laid  thy  keel, 
What  workman  wrought  thy  ribs  of  steel, 
Who  made  each  mast  and  sail  and  rope, 
What  anvils  rang,  what  hammers  beat, 
In  what  a  forgo,  and  what  a  heat, 
Were  shaped  the  anchors  of  thy  hope." 


* 


THE  GREAT  STRIKE. 


In  order  to  give  our  readers  an  intelligent  under- 
standing of  the  causes  that  led  to  the  strike,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  state  that  for  a  number  of  years  an  iniqui- 
tous system  of  classification  had  been  in  vogue  on  the 
Chicago  Burlington  &  Quincy  lines — a  system  under 
which  gross  injustice  was  done  to  engineers  and  fire- 
men, in  that  they  were  so  graded  that  their  wages 
were  reduced  far  below  the  average  of  the  recognized 
standard  of  pay  on  ninety  per  cent  of  the  roads  in  the 
United  States  and  Canada. 

For  years  the  men  were  dissatisfied;  all  along  the 
lines  could  be  heard  the  mutterings  of  discontent. 
The  complaints  touching  the  grievances  were  univer- 
sal ;  and  these  complaints  expanded  into  proportions 
of  the  gravest  character.  The  tendency  of  the  agita- 
tion was  toward  organized  action.  Engineers  and 
firemen  realized  the  necessity  of  co-operation,  and,  as 
a  consequence,  committees  of  the  two  Brotherhoods 
were  convened  in  Chicago,  in  the  month  of  January, 
1888.  Joint  action  was  decided  upon  as  the  basis 
of  operation.  S.  E.  Hoge  was  selected  as  Chairman 
of  the  Engineers'  Committee,  and  J.  H.  Murphy  as 
Chairman  of  the  Firemen. 

28 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  29 

The  following  schedule  of  grievances  was  pre- 
pared, which  met  with  the  unanimous  approval  of  the 
joint  committees.  This  schedule  was  presented  to  the 
officials  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  road  in 
a  spirit  of  moderation  and  fairness.  Every  proposi- 
tion had  been  carefully  considered,  and  there  was  no 
disposition  to  take  any  undue  advantage  of  the  com- 
pany. 

BROTHERHOOD'S    SCHEDULE. 

Revised  Schedule  of  Wages  Governing  the  Pay  of  Engineers 
and  Firemen,  on  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Rail- 
road and  Operated  Lines,  Presented  to  the  General 
Managers  on  February  15,  1888,  by  Committee  of  En- 
gineers and  Firemen. 

Article  7. 

No  engineer  or  fireman  shall  be  suspended  or  discharged 
without  just  or  sufficient  cause;  and  in  case  an  engineer  or  fire- 
man believes  his  discharge  or  suspension  to  have  been  unjust, 
he  shall  make  out  a  written  statement  of  the  facts  in  the  prem- 
ises, and  submit  it  to  his  Master  Mechanic,  and  at  the  same 
time  designate  any  other  engineer  or  fireman  (as  the  accused 
may  wish)  who  may  be  in  the  employ  of  the  Company  ;  and  the 
Master  Mechanic,  together  with  the  engineer  or  fireman  last 
referred  to,  shall,  in  conjunction  with  the  Superintendent, 
investigate  the  case  in  question  without  unnecessary  delay, 
and  render  a  prompt  decision  ;  and  in  case  the  aforesaid  dis- 
charge or  suspension  is  decided  to  be  unjust,  he  (the  accused) 
shall  be  at  once  reinstated,  and  shall  be  paid  for  all  time  lost 

on  such  account. 

Article  II. 

Section  1.  Engineers  and  firemen  shall  be  called  at  a 
reasonable  time  before  leaving  time.  The  caller  shall  have  a 
book,  in  which  the  engineer  and  fireman  must  register  their 
names  and  time  when  called.  Engineers'  and  firemen's  time 
shall  commence  when  they  take  charge  of  the  engine  ;  or,  if 
the  engine  is  not  ready,  the  time  they  report  at  the  office  for 
duty,  and  shall  end  at  the  time  designated  on  roundhouse 


30  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

register  as  arriving,  or  otherwise  relieved  from  duty.  Time 
shall  be  taken  from  roundhouse  register,  instead  of  conduct- 
or's register  or  train-sheet. 

Sec.  2.  When  engineers  or  firemen  are  ordered  out, 
and  not  used  on  account  of  train  being  abandoned,  or  other 
causes,  the  engineer  or  fireman  called  on  duty  shall  receive 
pay  for  one-half  (1%)  day  for  five  (5)  hours  or  less,  and  stand 
first  out. 

Article  III. 

Section  1.  All  passenger  engineers  running  four- wheel 
connected  engines  shall  receive  three  and  one-half  (33-2)  cents 
per  mile ;  six-wheel  connected  engines,  three  and  eight- 
tenths  (3  8-10)  cents  per  mile. 

All  passenger  firemen  firing  four-wheel  connected  en- 
gineslshall  receive  two  and  one-tenth  (2  1-10)  cents  per  mile  ; 
six-wheel  connected  engines,  two  and  one-fourth  (214)  cents 
per  mile. 

One  hundred  miles  or  less  to  be  considered  a  day's 
work;  over  one  hundred  miles,  at  the  same  rate  per  mile. 

Sec.  2.  All  freight  engineers  running  four-wheel  con- 
nected engines,  four  (4)  cents  per  mile  ;  six- wheel  connected 
engines,  four  and  three-tenths  (4  3-10)  cents  per  mile. 

All  freight  firemen,  firing  four-wheel  connected  engines, 
two  and  four-tenths  (2  4-10)  cents  per  mile;  six- wheel  con- 
nected engines,  two-and  six  tenths  (2  6-10)  cents  per  mile. 
One  hundred  miles  or  less  to  constitute  a  day's  work.  Over 
one  hundred  miles  at  the  same  rate  per  mile. 

Sec.  3.  Engineers  running  consolidated  (eight-wheel 
connected)  engines,  four  and  one-half  (4  V)  cents  per  mile. 

Firemen  firing  consolidated  engines,  two  and  four- 
tenths  (2  4-10)  cents  per  mile,  two  firemen  on  each  consoli- 
dated engine.  One  hundred  miles  or  less  to  constitute  a  day's 
work.     Over  one  hundred  miles  at  the  same  rate  per  mile. 

Sec.  4.  On  freight  runs  wbich  occupy  more  than  ten 
(10)  hours  to  the  one  hundred  miles,  overtime  shall  be  paid 
at  the  rate  of  forty  (40)  cents  per  hour  for  engineers,  and 
twenty-four  (24)  cents  per  hour  for  firemen. 

Sec.  5.  Local  freight  runs  on  Middle  Iowa  Division 
will  be  allowed  one  trip  and  one-half  (li2)  each  way;  overtime 
to  be  allowed  after  being  on  the  road  fifteen  (15)  hours. 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  31 

Article  IV. 

Section  1 .  In  computing  the  delayed  time,  the  first  hour 
shall  not  be  counted,  but  ii'  delayed  one  hour  and  thirty  min- 
utes, shall  be  counted  as  two  hours,  and  any  fraction  of  thirty 
minutes,  or  over,  thereafter,  shall  be  considered  one  hour. 

Engineers  on  freight  to  be  paid  forty  (40)  cents  per 
hour;  firemen  on  freight,  twenty-four  (24)  cents  per  hour. 
Engineers  on  passenger,  thirty-five  (35)  cents  per  hour;  fire- 
men on  passenger,  twenty-one  (21)  cents  per  hour. 

This  article  refers  only  to  delays  before  starting  and 
after  arriving  at  terminals. 

Sec.  2.  Engineers  and  Firemen  calh  d  to  go  to  Transfers 
or  Junction  Points  before  card  time,  delayed  time  shall  com- 
mence from  time  of  leaving  roundhouse. 

Article  V. 
On  passenger  runs  that  do  not  exceed  three  dollars  and 
seventy-five  cents  ($3.73)  per  day,  engineers  shall  receive 
three  dollars  and  seventy-five  cents  ($3.75),  and  firemen  two 
dollars  and  twenty-five  cents  ($2.25)  per  day;  overtime  shall 
be  allowel  in  same  proportion  when  on  duty  over  twelve 
(12)  hours  in  making  such  runs.  In  case  actual  mileage 
exceed  $3.75,  actual  mileage  at  the  rate  of  three  and  one- 
half  (3l<z)  cents  for  engineers,  and  two  and  one-tenth  (2  1-10) 
cents  for  firemen  per  mile  shall  be  allowed. 

Article  VI. 
Short  freight  runs  of  less  then  eighty  (80)  miles  when 
doubled  within  twelve  hours,  mileage  allowed  according  to 
Sec.  2,  Article  III,  and  if  not  doubled  within  twelve  hours  to 
be  allowed  one  day  each  way. 

Article   VII. 

All  engineers  and  firemen  of  work  trains  or  helpers  to 
be  paid  three  dollars  and  fifty  cents  ($3.50)  per  day  for  engi- 
neers, and  two  dollars  and  ten  cents  (2.10)  per  day  for  firemen; 
twelve  hours  or  less,  one  hundred  miles  or  less,  to  be  called  a 
day's  work.  If  the  run  should  exceed  one  hundred  miles,  full 
freight  rates  as  per  class  of  engine  for  the  entire  run. 

Article   VIII. 
Section  1 .    Engineers  in  snow-plow  service  (when  on 
duty)  shall  be  paid  at  the  rate  of  six  ( $'1.00)  dollars  per  day,  and 
3 


32  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

firemen  in  snow-plow  service  shall  be  paid  at  the  rate  of  three 
dollars  and  sixty  cents  ($3.60)  per  day;  ten  hours  or  less  to 
constitute  a  day's  work;  all  over  tea  hours  to  be  paid  at  the 
rate  of  sixty  (60)  cents  per  hour  for  engineers,  and  thirty- 
six  (36)  cents  per  hour  for  firemen.  "When  engines  in  snow- 
plow  service  are  held  in  roundhouse  subject  to  call  for  service, 
the  engineer  of  said  engine  shall  be  paid  four  dollars  ($4.00), 
and  firemen  two  dollars  and  forty  cents  ($2.40)  per  day,  of 
twenty-four  (24)  hours  or  less. 

Sec.  2.  Engineers  and  firemen  on  weed-destroying  en- 
gines shall  be  paid  at  the  same  rates  as  in  snow- plow  service. 

Sec.  3.  Engineers  and  firemen  on  surburban  trains  be- 
tween Chicago  and  Downers  Grove  will  receive,  the  engineer 
one  dollar  and  seventy-five  cents  ($1.75),  and  the  firemen  one 
dollar  and  five  cents  ($1.05)  for  each  round  trip. 

Article  IX. 

Switch  engineers  to  receive  three  dollars  and  firemen 
one  dollar  and  eighty  cents  per  day,  of  twelve  hours  or  less; 
all  over  twelve  hours  to  be  paid,  the  engineer  thirty  cents  per 
hour  and  the  fireman  eighteen  cents  per  hour;  except  in 
Chicago  and  Kansas  City  yards,  where  ten  (10)  hours  or  less 
will  constitute  a  day's  work,  at  $3.00  for  engineer  and  $1.80 
for  fireman  per  day;  thirty  cents  (30)  for  engineers  and  eigh- 
teen cents  (18)  for  firemen  per  hour  for  all  over  ten  (10)  hours. 
Any  fraction  of  thirty  minutes,  or  over,  shall  be  counted  one 
hour. 

They  shall  have  regular  engines,  and  shall  not  be  taken 
off  to  give  work  to  extra  men. 

Article  X. 

Where  engineers  and  firemen  are  compelled  to  double 
hills,  they  shall  receive  one  hour's  pay  per  double,  at  the  rate 
of  forty  cents  for  engineers  and  twenty-four  cents  for  fire- 
men. 

Article  XT. 

Hostlers  shall  be  paid  at  the  rate  of  two  dollars  and  forty 
cents  per  day;  twelve  hours  or  less  to  constitute  a  day's  work. 
All  over  twelve  hours  to  be  paid  at  the  rate  of  twenty-four 
cents  per  hour. 

They  shall  not  be  required  to  knock  fires. 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  33 

Hostlers  to  be  provided  at  all  terminal  points. 
In  all  cases  where  engineers  and  firemen  have  to  watch 
their  engines,  they  shall  be  paid  at  the  full  rate  per  hour. 

Article  XII. 

Section  1.  Engineers  and  firemen  taking  light  engines 
over  the  road,  or  dead-heading  over  the  road  on  company 
business,  will  be  paid  passenger  rates  ;  and  where  light  en- 
gines are  taken  over  the  road,  a  flagman  is  to  be  furnished. 

In  case  engineers  or  firemen  are  to  attend  court,  or  on 
any  company  business,  engineers  to  receive  four  dollars  per 
day  and  expenses,  and  firemen  two  dollars  and  forty  cents  per 
day  and  expenses. 

Sec,  2.     That  no  engineer  or  fireman  be  required  to 

pull  any  train  without  a  conductor,  or  a  man  to  take  charge 

of  said  train. 

Article  XIII. 

Engineers  and  firemen  will  run,  first  in,  first  out,  and,  as 
far  as  practicable,  on  their  respective  divisions ;  and  where 
engines  are  pooled,  not  to  be  governed  by  train  department. 

Article  XIV. 

Eights  to  regular  runs,  when  ability  is  equal,  will  be 
governed  by  seniority.  Engineers  and  firemen  having  regu- 
lar runs  up  to  the  Agreement  of  1886  will  not  be  affected  by 
this  Article. 

Article  XV. 

No  more  extra  engineers  or  firemen  will  be  assigned 
than  is  necessary  to  move  the  traffic  with  promptness  and 
dispatch,  and  should  any  engineer  or  fireman  feel  himself 
aggrieved  by  the  assignment  of  too  many  men ,  ho  can  pro- 
ceed as  in  Article  I,  but  will  receive  no  pay  for  loss  of  time. 

Galesburg  Division  engineers  and  firemen  will  not  be 
required  to  run  east  of  Aurora. 

Article  XVI. 

No  road  engineer  or  fireman  will  be  expected  to  do  reg- 
ular yard  work  at  terminal  stations.  In  the  event  of  their 
being  called  upon  to  do  said  work,  the  engineer  shall  receive 
forty  (40)  cents  per  hour,  and  the  fireman  twenty-four  (24) 
cents  per  hour. 


34  THE    GEE  AT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

Article  XVII. 
No  fines  shall  be  assessed  against  engineers  or  firemen. 

Article  XVIII. 
That  engineers  and  firemen  and  their  families  be  given 
transportation  when  applied  for,  and  that  some  arrangement 
be  made  to  pass  Brotherhood  men  over  the  road. 

Article  XIX. 

Section  1.  That  where  time  is  not  allowed,  the  Mas- 
ter Mechanic  shall  cause  the  trip  report  to  be  returned  to  the 
engineer  or  fireman  sending  it  in,  stating  why  the  time  is 
not  allowed,  as  soon  as  practicable. 

Sec.  2.    All  officers,  engineers  and  firemen  will  observe 

strict    courtesy  of  manners  in  their  intercourse  with  each 

other. 

Article  XX. 

All  road  engines  will  be  provided  with  cracked  coal 

suitable  for  firing,    and    the  company    shall   do  all  outside 

cleaning,  and  where  engines  are  pooled,  the  company  to  do 

all  the  cleaning. 

Article  XXI. 

Engineers  and  firemen  shall  not  be  required  to  go  out 
when  they  need  rest,  and  they  are  expected  to  judge  for  them- 
selves whether  they  need  rest  or  not. 

Article  XXII. 
It  is  understood  that  there  will  be  no  more  examina- 
tions or  tests,  except  such  as  are  agreed  upon  by  the  General 
Manager  and  the  General  Grievance  Committee. 

Article  XXIII. 
That    on    the   adoption   of  this   schedule,   it  shall  be 
kept  posted  in  a  conspicuous  place  in  all  register  rooms  on 
the  line  of  road. 

All  previous  schedules  and  contracts  shall  be  consid- 
ered void. 

(Signed)  S.  E.  HOGE,  Chairman  Engineers. 

J.  H.  MURPHY,  Chairman  Firemen. 

It  will  readily  be  seen  that  the  engineers  and 
firemen  request  that  the  compensation  be  fixed  by  the 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  35 

mile,  as  that  is  the  method  adopted  by  nine-tenths  of 
the  railroads  in  the  United  States. 

The  Burlington  officials  have  said  that  this  com- 
pensation was  sought  by  the  Brotherhoods  without  re- 
gard to  other  conditions  or  circumstances.  This 
position  of  the  company  will  not  bear  inspection. 
For  instance :  in  cases  of  high-class  runs  which  they 
Lave  cited,  taking  only  a  few  hours  for  the  trip,  en- 
gineers and  firemen  have  been  compelled  to  care  for 
their  own  engines ;  in  fact,  keep  up  the  repairs  of 
the  engine,  thereby  saving  to  the  company  the  cost  of 
a  hostler,  and  keeping  the  engine  in  constant  use 
without  the  aid  oi  the  machinist.  It  was  not  sought 
by  the  Brotherhoods  to  create  these  high-class  runs ; 
on  the  contrary,  the  desire  was  to  do  away  with 
them.  Article  XI.  of  the  foregoing  schedule  plainly 
says  that  hostlers  must  be  provided  at  terminal 
points,  and  where  absolutely  necessary  for  the  en- 
gineer and  fireman  to  perform  this  duty,  that  they  be 
paid  the  full  rate  per  hour.  It  was  evidently  the  de- 
sire of  the  men  to  force  these  so-called  high-class 
runs  off  the  schedule,  while  the  company  desired  to 
retain  them.  It  is  also  seen  that  while  the  Brother- 
hoods asked  for  compensation  according  to  the  miles 
run,  the  trip  pay  could  still  have  been  continued, 
providing  that  the  company  did  not  require  them  to 
do  the  work  of  roundhouse  men  and  machinists.  The 
only  question  involved  here  is,  that  this  company 
should  pay  as  much  per  trip  of  equal  length  as  is 
paid  by  the  other  important  lines  of  the  country.  If 
the  desire  had  been  to  pay  the  men  honestly  and 


36  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

fairly,  it  was  immaterial  whether  the  compensation 
be  by  the  trip  or  mile.  To  illustrate :  If  a  passen- 
ger engineer  runs  one  hundred  miles,  this  schedule 
calls  for  three  dollars  and  fifty  cents.  This  rate  is 
paid  by  the  C,  R.  I.  &  P.,  A.,  T.  &  S.  F.,  Wabash, 
and  in  fact  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  great  railway  systems 
in  the  United  States.  The  Burlington,  not  desiring 
to  pay  upon  a  basis  that  would  make  a  fair  compari- 
son of  wages  with  those  of  other  companies,  aban- 
dons the  mile  schedale,  and  simply  says :  "  We  will 
pay  you  three  dollars  for  the  trip ; "  in  other  words, 
three  cents  per  mile  for  the  same  service  for  which 
other  roads  pay  three  and  one-half  cents. 

It  is  true  that  the  Brotherhoods  have  demanded 
in  this  schedule  "  a  considerable  average  increase  of 
pay, "  but  the  public  must  understand  that  they  did 
not  demand  this  increase  from  the  Burlington  over 
what  is  paid  by  its  competitors  in  business.  Had  the 
Burlington  conceded  this  increase  of  pay,  it  would  only 
have  been  called  upon  to  pay  precisely  what  its  neigh- 
bors and  rivals  have  been  paying  for  years.  A  large 
average  increase  of  pay  must  be  made  before  the  em- 
ployes of  this  road  are  placed  upon  an  equal  footing 
with  those  of  other  roads.  For  many  years  the  Burling- 
ton road  had  the  advantage  of  a  first-class  equipment  of 
enginemen  at  rates  of  pay  far  below  what  its  compet- 
itors have  been  compelled  to  pay  for  the  same  service. 

In  strict  justice,  these  men  might  have  demanded 
restitution,  but  they  only  asked  for  honest  treatment 
in  the  future.  They  did  not  ask  for  the  abolishment  of 
classification  based  upon  merit,  age   or  experience. 


THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q.  37 

The  proposition  is  substantially  this :  If  an  en- 
gineer is  compelled  to  pull  the  best  train  on  the  Bur- 
lington road,  he  should  have  the  best  pay.  It  is  not 
material  whether*  he  has  been  an  engineer  one  year  or 
ten  years — competency  alone  is  the  requisite. 

When  the  company  places  a  man  in  charge  of 
one  of  its  great  express  trains,  and  intrusts  to  his  skill 
and  judgment  the  lives  and  property  of  its  patrons, 
by  that  very  act  it  certifies  that  he  is  a  first-class  en- 
gineer, and  entitled  to  receive  pay  accordingly.  A 
first-year  man  is  not  necessarily  a  man  of  inferior 
ability ;  the  company  would  not  risk  its  own  property 
and  reputation,  nor  would  the  public  risk  their  lives, 
with  third-rate  men.  Why,  then,  should  the  com- 
pany insist  on  paying  them  third-class  wages  ?  It  is 
injustice,  imposition,  and  avarice  !  The  man  who  is 
able  to  perform  the  work  of  a  first-class  engineer 
should  receive  first-class  pay,  whatever  that  may  be ; 
and  he  is  a  slave  who  accepts  less. 

On  the  other  hand  the  company  takes  this  posi- 
tion :  It  places  a  man  in  a  position  which  requires 
at  his  hands  the  skill,  knowledge  and  ability  of  a  first- 
class  engineer.  The  first  year  it  pays  him  much  less 
than  a  first-class  engineer's  wages ;  the  second  year  it 
slightly  advances  his  wages,  but  still  keeps  them 
below  that  of  the  first-class;  the  third  year  he  is 
paid  their  highest  wages  to  an  engineer  (which  is 
still  less  than  that  paid  by  other  roads),  having  done 
the  same  character  and  quality  of  work  for  three 
years.  The  result  is  that  the  company  is  continually 
gaining  from  the  men  who  are  in  their  first  and  sec- 


38  THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q. 

oncl  year's  service  a  large  per  cent  of  wages.  It  thus 
gains  all  the  percentages  in  this  scheme,  because  a 
number  of  men  who  work  the  first  or  second  year  do 
not  remain  long  enough  in  the  employ  of  this  com- 
pany to  be  entitled  to  the  wages  that  are  paid  to  the 
men  who  have  served  their  third  year.  These  first 
and  second  year  men  who  resign  to  accept  better  posi- 
tions on  other  roads,  enter  other  occupations  in  life, 
or  are  crippled,  killed,  or  discharged  by  the  company, 
are  replaced  by  other  first  and  second  year  men,  and 
the  company  is  thus  enabled  to  keep  a  large  percent- 
age of  employes  at  greatly  reduced  rates  of  wages. 
No  objection  could  be  offered  to  paying  those  who 
had  been  employed  on  the  road  a  long  time  an  extra 
gratuity  if  so  desired,  nor  could  complaint  be  made 
if,  in  its  generosity,  the  company  wished  to  pension 
men  who  had  served  it  faithfully  a  number  of  years ; 
but  when  this  gratuity  (  ?),this  generosity  (?),  is  only  a 
small  portion  of  the  sum  stolen  from  the  same  em- 
ployes, the  men  were  only  human  and  failed  to 
appreciate  the  kindness  intended. 

One  of  two  things  must  be  true :  either  that  the 
engineers  were  first-class  men  entitled  to  first-class 
pay,  or  that  the  public  was  deceived  when  it  was 
asked  to  travel  upon  or  risk  property  on  trains  run 
by  second  and  third  grade,  and,  consequently  inferior 
men.  The  latter  could  not  be  maintained  by  the 
company .  Every  General  Manager  in  the  Western 
country  knows  that  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
road  was  equipped  with  first-class  men  in  these  de- 
partments, second  to  none  anywhere.     This  is  clearly 


THE    GEE  AT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  30 

proven  by  their  general  eagerness  to  re-engage  the 
former  employes  of  this  company.  Mr.  Jeffrey, 
General  Manager  of  the  Illinois  Central  road,  and 
Chairman  of  the  General  Managers'  Association, 
stated  that  in  the  future  all  vacancies  upon  his  line 
would  be  held  for  the  ex-employes  of  the  Burlington 
road.  Nor  is  Mr.  Jeffrey  an  exception  in  this  matter ; 
the  C,  R.  I.  &  P.,  C,  S.  F.  &  C,  C.  &  N.-W.,  C.  M.  & 
St.  P.,  Wisconsin  Central,  M.  &  N.  W.,  C,  A.  &  St.  L., 
together  with  the  Eastern  lines,  are  rapidly  receiving 
these  men  into  their  employ. 

What  has  been  said  in  relation  to  the  engineers 
applies  also  to  the  firemen,  because  upon  all  the 
roads  the  fireman's  wages  is  based  upon  those  of  the 
engineer,  and  he  receives  from  fifty-five  to  sixty  per 
cent  of  the  wages  that  is  paid  to  the  engineer ;  there- 
fore, a  shaving  down  of  the  engineer's  pay  means 
also  a  shaving  down  of  the  amount  paid  to  the  fire- 
man, so  that  on  all  sides  the  peculiar  system  adopted 
by  the  Burlington  road  robs  both  classes  and  en- 
riches its  own  treasury. 

In  the  circular  issued  by  the  company  it  says : 
"The  company  reserves  the  right  to  ascertain  by  what- 
ever examinations  it  may  think  advisable,  whether  its 
employes  of  all  classes  are  capable  of  fulfilling  the 
duties  they  undertake,  and  the  public  also  demand 
that  the  railroad  company  shall  take  every  precau- 
tion to  employ  only  those  men  who  can  safely  per- 
form the  work  entrusted  to  them. "  This  was  one 
of  the  main  points  at  issue.  When  the  company  had 
made  such  examinations,  and  found  that  an  engineer 


40  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

or  fireman  was  capable  of  taking  charge  of  an  engine, 
and  that  he  was  competent  to  fill  the  company's  ob- 
ligation to  the  public,  what  right,  in  justice,  had  they 
to  ask  that  the  man  accept  a  lower  grade  of  com- 
pensation? He  performed  the  same  service  rendered 
by  the  older  men,  or  those  who  had  been  longer  on  the 
road,  and,  in  justice,  should  have  received  the  same 
pay.  If  sent  out  on  freight  runs,  he  performed  harder 
service,  and  a  service  that  required  skill  and  judg- 
ment equal  at  least  to  the  passenger  engineer,  and 
should  have  been  paid  accordingly  in  strict  sense  of 
justice  and  equity. 

The  question  now  arises,  had  these  men  just 
cause  to  complain  ?  Were  the  engineers  and  firemen 
of  the  Burlington  road  seeking  to  take  any  undue 
advantage  of  that  corporation?  Were  they  as  well 
paid  as  the  employes  of  other  roads  performing  similar 
services  ? 

We  invite  the  attention  of  the  public  to  the  fol- 
lowing comparisons : 

On  the  "Q"  road  there  is  a  round  trip  between 
Eockford  and  Aurora  which  is  made  twenty-six  times 
a  month  by  the  engineer. 

On  the  North- Western  road  there  is  a  round  trip 
between  Eockford  and  Chicago  which  is  also  made 
twenty- six  times  per  month. 

The  North-Western  round  trip  is  twenty-two  miles 
greater  than  the  "  Q  "  round  trip.  The  North- Western 
engineer  travels  572  miles  per  month  more  than  the 
"Q's  "  engineer. 

At  the  rate  of  compensation  asked  by  the  engineers 


THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q.  41 

—viz  :  3  J  cts.  per  mile — the  North- Western  road  should 
only  pay  $20.02  per  month  to  the  engineer  on  the 
Bockford-to-Chicago  trip  greater  than  that  paid  to  the 
"Q"  engineer  who  runs  on  the  Kockford-to- Aurora 
trip.  But  the  fact  is  that  the  "Q"  road  pays  its  en- 
gineer $104  per  month,  while  the  North- Western  pays 
its  engineer  $175.  The  "  Q  "  engineer  holds  just  as 
responsible  a  position  as  the  engineer  on  the  North- 
Western.  He  has  to  cross  three  intersecting  roads  in 
the  making  of  his  trip,  and,  in  addition  to  his  work  as 
an  engineer,  the  labor  of  hostling  or  caring  for  the 
engine  is  imposed  upon  him,  while  the  engineer  for 
the  North- Western  is  not  obliged  to  care  for  his  engine. 
The  latter'swork  begins  when  he  jumps  on  the  engine 
at  one  end  of  the  trip,  and  ceases  when  he  delivers  it 
at  the  other  end. 

The  engineer  on  the  Sterling  Branch  run  draws 
$84.10  for  ninety-eight  miles.  He  stops  in  Bock 
Falls  six  hours,  and  takes  care  of  his  own  engine. 
The  engineer  that  runs  the  Batavia  and  Geneva  ac- 
commodation receives  $87.10,  and  the  Chicago  & 
North- Western  pays  for  like  runs  $96.20,  the  distance 
being  two  miles  greater  on  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy. 

The  reason  we  ask  more  pay  for  the  branch  runs 
is  to  compensate  the  men  for  the  extra  work  done  on 
account  of  the  engineers  having  to  do  the  work  of  a 
machinist. 

The  engineer  on  the  Kockford  way-freight  runs 
nightly  (twenty-six  nights  constituting  one  month),  for 
which  he  receives  $56.00 ;  fireman,  $35.00  per  month. 


42  THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q. 

The  engineers  on  the  fast  mail,  Chicago,  Burling- 
ton &  Quincy,  125  miles  per  day,  receive  $97.50  for 
twenty- six  days'  time.  The  engineers  on  the  Chicago 
&  North- Western,  for  the  same  service,  receive  $120.00. 

The  runs  on  the  main  line  of  the  Chicago,  Bur- 
lington &  Quincy,  125  miles  per  day,  thirty-five  days 
per  month,  amount  received,  $131.00.  On  the  trunk 
lines  out  of  Chicago,  for  the  same  service,  the  en- 
gineers receive  §161.00. 

The  engineers  on  the  Buda  and  Vermont  Branch 
of  the  "Q"  line,  188  3-10  miles  per  day,  twenty-six 
days  constituting  one  month,  receive  for  same  $125.50. 
The  Chicago  &  North- Western  Bailway  pays  for  like 
service  $181.00. 

We  desire  further  to  state  that  no  first-class  en- 
gineer on  the  Chicago  &  North- Western  receives  less 
than  $96.20  for  twenty-six  clays'  work,  if  ready  for  duty. 

The  Bock  Island  road  pays  its  engineers  on  all  of 
its  passenger  trains  $3.60,  and  its  firemen  $2.15  for 
the  100-mile  run. 

The  Quincy  road  only  pays  $3.50  for  this  same 
run  to  the  engineers  on  a  few  of  its  heaviest  trains — 
like  the  Kansas  City  one — and  on  all  other  trains  it 
pays  only  $3.37|-.  It  only  pays  its  firemen  $2.00 
when  with  the  engineer  who  is  paid  $3.50,  and  $1.90 
when  with  the  engineer  who  receives  $3.37J. 

The  Bock  Island  road  pays  $4.15  for  a  run  of  one 
hundred  miles  to  its  freight  engineers,  and  does  not 
require  them  to  act  as  hostlers  for  their  engines. 

The  Quincy  road  pays  its  freight  engineer  on  the 
101-mile  run  from  Galva  to  New  Boston  $3.75.    This 


THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q.  43 

run  is  on  a  branch  road,  and  the  engineer  is  compelled 
to  do  hostler's  duty  for  his  engine  at  both  ends  of 
his  run. 

Let  us  compare  two  short  runs :  The  first  is  on 
the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  road.  The  round 
trip  between  Chicago  and  Elgin  is  seventy-four  miles, 
for  which  the  engineer  is  paid  $3.70.  The  engineer 
has  full  control  of  his  time  every  second  day,  and  has 
not  to  act  as  hostler  for  his  engine.  The  second  is 
on  the  "  Q  "  road.  The  round  trip  between  Chicago 
and  Aurora  is  seventy-seven  miles.  The  engineer  is 
paid  $3.35.  He  has  to  "hostle"  his  engine,  and  his 
entire  time  belongs  to  the  road.  Some  days  he  has 
to  be  under  the  orders  for  eighteen  hours  per  day. 

Complaint  is  made  in  the  road's  circular  because 
we  asked  that  "Galesburg  Division  engineers  and 
firemen  be  not  required  to  run  east  of  Aurora."  The 
idea  sought  to  be  conveyed  by  the  company  is  that 
this  request  is  unreasonable,  and  calculated  to  im- 
pose greater  expense  on  the  road.  The  fact  is  that 
compliance  with  this  request  will  not  impose  one  cent 
of  extra  expense  on  the  road.  No  objection  has  been 
offered  to  running  the  engines  through  from  Gales- 
burg to  Chicago.  The  change  of  crews — engineers 
and  firemen — at  Aurora  will  not  increase  the  com- 
pany's outlay.  There  are  about  300  of  the  engineers 
and  firemen  who  live  in  Aurora.  Many  of  these  men 
own  homes ;  some  of  these  homes,  however,  are  not 
entirely  paid  for.  If  they  are  compelled  to  run  from 
Galesburg  to  Chicago  and  return,  they  would  have  to 
sacrifice  their  property,  and  remove  either  to  Gales- 


44  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

burg  or  to  Chicago.  They  ask  that  the  crews  be  made 
to  run  on  the  one  end  of  the  route  only  from  Chicago 
to  Aurora  and  return,  and  on  the  other  end  only  from 
Galesburg  to  Aurora  and  return.  If  we  were  paid  on 
the  mile  system,  the  change  of  crews  would  not  cost 
the  road  one  cent. 

It  is  also  complained  that  we  ask  that  some 
arrangements  be  made  in  relation  to  passing  Brother- 
hood men  on  the  "Q"  trains.  We  make  no  demand 
in  this  regard.  Our  purpose  in  making  this  request 
was  to  get  some  uniform  rule  put  in  force  on  this  road, 
the  same  as  prevails  on  other  roads.  "We  have  no 
right  to  demand  this.  We  did  not  demand  it ;  our 
desire  was,  while  we  were  negotiating,  to  get  this 
question,  now  unsettled,  so  determined  that  the  con- 
ductors would  hereafter  know  precisely  what  to  do, 
and  thus  be  able  to  avoid  conflicts. 

On  the  Pan  Handle  road  the  freight  engineer  who 
runs  from  Indianapolis  to  Bradford,  a  distance  of  105 
miles,  receives  $4.25  for  the  trip  ;  his  fireman  receives 
S2.15. 

On  the  "  Q"  road  the  round  trip  run  from  Gales- 
burg to  Peoria  is  105  miles,  for  which  the  engineer  re- 
ceives $3.60  and  the  fireman  $2.10. 

From  Quincy  to  Colchester  the  round  trip  is  107 
miles.  The  "Q"  road  pays  its  engineer  for  that  trip 
S3. 75,  and  its  fireman  $2.15, 

For  runs  of  100  miles  on  the  Union  Pacific  road 
the  engineer  on  passenger  trains  receives  $3.55.  The 
"Q"  road  is  a  competitor  of  the  Union  Pacific,  and 
for  a  long  distance  travels  over  parallel  lines  through 


THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q.  45 

country  of  precisely  the  same  character.  Yet  we  have 
only  asked  $3.50  per  100  miles  for  a  passenger  engi- 
neer on  the  "Q"  road. 

SUBMITTING    THE    PROPOSITIONS. 

The  requests  of  the  men  were  met  with  indifference 
at  the  hands  of  the  Burlington  officials.  Not  the  slight- 
est encouragement  was  given  to  the  Committees. 
They  were  given  to  understand,  substantially,  that  no 
concessions  on  the  part  of  the  company  need  be 
expected.  The  abominable  system  of  classification, 
the  chief  source  of  complaint,  would  be  continued, 
and  the  protests  of  the  men,  however  emphatic  or 
unanimous,  would  not  prevail. 

FURTHER    EFFORTS    TO    SECURE    JUSTICE. 

The  Committees  having  exhausted  every  expedient 
to  effect  an  amicable  adjustment,  appealed  to  their 
Grand  Executive  Officers  to  come  to  the  rescue. 
Grand  Chief  Arthur  and  Grand  Master  Sargent 
responded  to  the  call.  The  Joint  Committee  was 
convened  by  the  Grand  Officers,  and  a  careful  analy- 
sis of  the  grievances  was  made.  Having  satisfied 
themselves  that  the  demands  of  the  men  were  reason- 
able and  just,  the  Grand  Officers,  accompanied  by 
the  Joint  Committee,  called  upon  the  officials  of  the  C, 
B.  &  Q.  system.  A  protracted  interview  followed, 
which  resulted  practically  in  a  failure,  as  the  officials 
declined  to  accede  to  a  single  proposition  of  the  Com- 
mittee, notwithstanding  numerous  modifications  were 
made  in  the  interest  of  harmony.  The  interview 
ended  abruptly  upon  the  declaration  of  General  Man- 


i 


46  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

ager  Stone,  that  he  would  not  accede  to  any  part  of  the 
proposition  bearing  upon  classification.  In  this,  he 
was  emphatic  and  uncompromising.  This  ended  the 
conference  so  far  as  General  Manager  Stone  was  -con- 
cerned, and  the  Committee  respectfully  withdrew. 

STILL    FURTHER    EFFORTS    IN  THE    INTEREST    OF    HARMONY 

AND    JUSTICE. 

Grand  Chief  Arthur  and  Grand  Master  Sargent, 
realizing  that  the  difficulty  had  assumed  a  most  seri- 
ous phase,  decided,  upon  consultation,  to  make  a  final 
effort  to  avert  what  now  seemed  inevitable — a  strike. 
A  telegraphic  dispatch  was  transmitted  to  President 
Perkins,  at  Boston,  appealing  to  him  to  do  justice  by 
his  men  and  avert  the  impending  strike.  His  answer 
was  evasive,  indefinite,  showing  an  utter  indifference 
as  to  what  the  result  might  be. 

NEARING-    THE    CRISIS. 

Having  now  been  cut  off  from  every  avenue  lead- 
ing to  an  honorable  adjustment  of  grievances,  having 
exhausted  every  reasonable  expedient  to  prevent 
trouble,  the  Committee,  with  the  sanction  of  the 
Grand  Officers,  decided  that  the  engineers  and  firemen 
should  withdraw  in  a  body  from  the  service  of  the 
company,  at  4  o'clock,  on  Monday  morning,  Feb- 
ruary 27,  unless  some  disposition  was  shown  to 
remedy  the  grievances  of  the  men.  On  Sunday, 
February  26,  the  day  previous  to  the  inauguration 
of  the  strike,  Chairmen  Hoge  and  Murphy  called  upon 
General  Manager  Stone,  and  informed  him  of  the 
action  of  the  Committee,  again   appealing  to  him  to 


THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q.  47 

render  justice  to  the  men.  The  General  Manager 
arbitrarily  declined  to  make  any  concessions,  or  to 
give  the  Committee  any  satisfaction,  and  here  the 
matter  ended  with  the  final  conference,  with  the  strike 
inevitable  and  its  consequences  in  full  view. 

THE    STRIKE. 

On  Monday  morning,  the  27th  instant,  at  4 
o'clock,  the  strike  began,  all  engineers  and  firemen 
on  the  entire  system  withdrawing  from  the  service  of 
the  company.  All  trains  on  the  road  at  that  hour 
were  taken  to  their  terminal  points.  '  The  men  had 
exhibited  throughout,  patience,  prudence  and  forbear- 
ance, and  the  strike  at  once  became  monumental  of 
an  infamous  policy  on  the  part  of  a  rich  and  power- 
ful corporation  to  rob  its  trusted  employes  of  money 
earned,  that  it  might  increase  its  profits,  and  with 
equal  distinctness  does  the  strike  record  the  fact  that 
a  great  body  of  workingmen  sought  by  every  honorable 
means  to  secure  their  rights,  preferring  to  suffer  than 
to  be  longer  degraded. 

THE    PRESS. 

No  sooner  was  the  strike  inaugurated  than  the 
press  began  to  manipulate  public  opinion.  The  most 
sensational  reports  were  concocted  and  published 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land ;  and 
while  at  the  inception  of  the  strike  there  seemed  to  be  a 
'  disposition  to  treat  the  men  fairly,  it  was  not  long  be 
fore  a  change  of  sentiment  pervaded  the  utterances 
of  the  press,  and  fair-dealing  and  honest  criticism  gave 
place  to  the  grossest  misrepresentations,  with  the  evi- 


\ 


48  THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q. 

dent  purpose  of  arousing  public  opinion  against  the 
strikers,  thereby  making  them  the  victims  of  the  cor- 
poration they  were  struggling  against,  and  of  which  it 
was  the  subsidized  agent  and  representative. 

When  the  switchmen  joined  the  engineers  and 
firemen,  March  23,  for   a   short   time   there   was    a 
change  in  the  tone  of  the  press  reports.     They  evi- 
dently feared  a  repetition  of  the  lawlessness  of  the 
strikes  of  1877,  but  when  they  found  that  the  switch- 
men, too,  were    a   law-abiding   class    of   men,   they 
again    acknowledged    allegiance   to   the    corporation. 
Reporters  were  sent  to  the  meetings  of  the  strikers, 
who,  believing  that  they  would  be   fairly  dealt  with, 
had  appointed  a  Press  Committee.     In  almost  every 
instance  the  papers  failed  to  print  the  matter  as  given 
to  the  reporters,  and  in  many  cases  did  print  exactly 
^the   reverse.       This    Press    Committee,   composed   of 
conservative   men,   soon   learned   that  the   reporters 
went  directly  from  them  to  the  Burlington  officials, 
where   the   interviews    were    inspected   and    put   in 
proper  shape  to  answer  the  purposes  of  the  company. 
An   effort  was  then  made  by  the  Press  Committee  to 
get  their  communications  directly  to  the  papers,  with- 
out the  use   of  the  reporters.      In  a  short  time  this 
also  failed.      Chiefs  Arthur  and  Sargent  and  Chair- 
men Hoge  and  Murphy,  at  the  Grand  Pacific  Hotel, 
had  a  similar  experience. '    It  was  impossible  to  get 
proper  representation  of  the  facts  printed.      March 
26  one  paper  accepted  and  printed  a  communication 
from  the  Press  Committee,  but  from   that   time  on 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  49 

nothing  was  printed  verbatim.      The  article  referred 
to  is  herewith  given : 

"As  the  Burlington  Bureau  of  Information  has 
ceased  to  give  out  facts,  but  are  drawing  on  advertis- 
ing material,  we  wish  to  state  the  causes  of  their 
trouble  with  the  switchmen.  They  have  not  struck, 
but  have  left  the  service  of  that  company.  '  Self- 
preservation  is  the  first  law  of  nature.'  This  is  the  rea- 
son in  a  nutshell.  For  the  past  week  every  switch  en- 
gine in  the  house  has  been  out.  Three  have  gone  in 
again  disabled,  and  less  than  half  of  the  regular  work 
has  been  done.  As  long  as  the  company  were  satisfied 
to  let  the  men  take  time  to  insure  safety  there  was  no 
trouble.  But  as  the  cars  accumulated  in  the  yards, 
they  considered  it  necessary  to  push  the  men  beyond 
the  point  of  safety,  against  their  protests,  and  the 
'  strike  '  or  stoppage  was  the  result.  A  few  of  the  en- 
gineers and  firemen  are  locomotive  men,  but  the 
majority  are  not,  and  all  are  ignorant  of  our  signals 
and  methods  of  work.  In  switching  cars  there 
should  be  no  one  in  the  cab  but  the  engineer  and  fire- 
man, and  both  should  be  watching  the  movements  and 
signals  of  the  switchmen.  As  it  is  now,  the  fireman 
stands  in  the  gangway,  while  his  seat  is  occupied  by 
two  or  three  Pinkerton  men.  No  signal  can  be  seen 
from  that  side  of  the  engine.  The  engineer  keeps  his 
window  closed,  to  shut  out  the  taunts  of  passers-by, 
and  the  switchmen  are  left  to  take  their  chances.  As 
long  as  he  was  allowed  to  pull  pins  with  the  train  at 
a  stand-still,  and  make  couplings  with  the  engine 
attached,    he    could    do   the    work   with    reasonable 


50  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

safety,  but  this  is  not  the  manner  of  handling  cars 
on  our  western  roads,  and  would  not  have  been  tol- 
erated one  month  ago.  Aside  from  pulling  pins  and 
coupling  cars,  there  is  the  continual  danger  of  colli- 
sions, as  at  Hawthorne,  last  Thursday  night,  when 
•switch  engine  176  was  run  through  by  a  road  engine 
and  train,  whose  engineer  did  not  see  stop -signals 
nor  the  headlight  ahead  of  him  on  a  straight  track. 
The  tracks  in  and  about  Chicago  are  cut  up  with 
railroad  crossings,  semaphores,  connections  and  the 
interlocking  switch  systems.  These  new  engineers 
know  nothing  about  them,  and  are  continually  run- 
ning through  and  under  them,  to  the  imminent  dan- 
ger of  themselves,  switchmen  and  opposing  trains. 
These  varied  sources  of  danger  to  life  and  limb  are  so 
great  that  the  men  are  undoubtedly  justified  in  leav- 
ing the  service  of  that  company." 

THE    FIRST    BOYCOTT. 

From  a  circular  issued  in  June,  by  the  Brother- 
hood of  Engineers  the  following  is  taken : 

"  Shortly  after  the  inauguration  of  the  strike,  re- 
ports were  received  at  headquarters  to  the  effect  that 
certain  lines  of  railway,  parallel  to  the  C,  B.  &  Q., 
were  hauling  the  cars  and  handling  the  traffic  of  that 
company.  These  reports  created  decidedly  bitter  feel- 
ing on  the  part  of  the  striking  emplo}7es,  and  ultimated 
in  the  convening  of  the  chairmen  of  the  Grievance 
Committees  of  the  several  systems  complained  of.  At 
this  meeting,  which  took  place  at  Chicago,  on  March 
5,  it  was  agreed  that  the  engineers  and  firemen  em- 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  51 

ployed  on  said  systems  should  serve  notice  on  their 
respective  officials,  through  the  proper  committees, 
that  while  they  were  willing  to  perform  all  their  legiti- 
mate duties,  they  would  decline  thenceforth  to  haul 
C,  B.  &  Q.  cars,  or  transact  any  of  the  business 
properly  devolving  upon  that  company,  as  by  so  doing, 
they  would  virtually  be  taking  the  positions  vacated 
by  their  striking  brethren,  and  by  that  means  con- 
tribute to  their  defeat,  while  at  the  same  time  they 
would  be  giving  aid  and  comfort  to  the  corporation 
against  which  they  were  struggling  for  their  rights. 

THE    QUESTION    OF    LAW   INTRODUCED. 

"Out  of  this  action  of  the  Committees  arose  a  series 
of  the  most  threatening  complications,  which  it  may 
be  well  to  explain  at  this  point.  It  should  be  under- 
stood, in  the  first  place,  that  there  is  upon  the  statute 
books  of  Illinois  a  law  which  provides  that  any  officer, 
chairman  or  leader  of  a  labor  organization,  associa- 
tion or  combination,  who  advises  or  causes  a  body  of 
employes  to  withdraw  their  services  from  any  com- 
pany or  corporation,  thereby  crippling  the  business  or 
interfering  with  the  operations  of  the  said  company 
or  corporation,  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  conspiracy, 
and  shall  be  fined  or  imprisoned  in  proportion  to  the 
extent  of  the  injury  caused.  It  will  be  observed  that 
the  provisions  cf  this  law  were  exceedingly  embarrass- 
ing to  the  Grand  Officers;  and  upon  taking  legal  advice 
they  found,  to  their  discomfiture,  that  they  were  even 
then  occupying  untenable  ground  and  exposing  them- 
selves to  the  liability  of  being  prosecuted  under  the 


52  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    OX    THE    Q. 

conspiracy  act  referred. to.  Xot  only  this,  but  it  soon 
became  apparent  that  the  action  taken  by  the  Com- 
mittee on  March  5  did  not  meet  with  the  unanimous 
approval  of  the  engineers  and  firemen  employed  on 
the  several  systems  there  represented.  On  the  con- 
trary, the  engineers  and  firemen  on  some  of  the  lines 
positively  refused  to  be  bound  by  the  agreement,  and 
openly  avowed  their  intention  to  perform  any  and  all 
duties  that  might  be  required  of  them,  including  the 
handling  of  C,  B.  &  Q.  business. 

WANT  OF  UNITY  AND   HARMONY. 

"The  lack  of  unanimity  at  this  particular  juncture 
proved  fatal  to  any  good  results  that  might  have  fol- 
lowed concert  of  action  in  carrying  out  the  instructions 
of  the  Committee.  Division,  discontent  and  disorder 
soon  began  to  appear.  There  was  a  total  lack  of  har- 
mony in  the  spirit  and  purpose  of  the  men,  and  those 
who  were  disposed  to  act  in  good  faith  and  refuse  to 
handle  C.,B.  &  C.  traffic  simply  laid  themselves  liable 
to  dismissal  from  the  service  of  the  company,  without 
assurance  or  hope  of  protection  or  support  from  the 
men  employed  on  the  same  system. 

STRIKE    ON    THE    SANTA    FE. 

"Under  this  condition  of  affairs  occurred  the  noted 
strike  on  the  Sante  Fe  system,  which  was  precipitated 
on  March  16,  on  account  of  the  alleged  aid  given  the 
C,  B.  &  Q.  hj  that  company  in  hauling  its  cars  and 
transacting  its  business.  Upon  a  more  careful  inves- 
tigation of  the  matter,  it  was  found  that  there  was  no 
adequate  cause  for  the  strike — that  it  grew  out  of  a 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  53 

misapprehension  of  the  facts  in  the  case,  and  on  March 
18,  after  being  out  two  days,  the  men  returned  to  work 
in  a  body,  the  road  resumed  operations,  and  the  same 
satisfactory  relations  between  the  company  and  the 
men  which  had  hitherto  prevailed,  were  restored. 

THE    SWITCHMEN. 

"From  the  very  inception  of  the  strike,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Switchmen's  Mutual  Aid  Association 
evinced  a  profound  interest  in  the  struggle  and  freely 
tendered  their  sympathy  and  support  to  the  strikers. 
They  realized  that  the  contest  was  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  a  common  cause,  and  that  the  employes  in 
every  department  of  the  railway  service  were  inter- 
ested in  the  result.  The  Grand  Master,  J.  L.  Mona- 
ghan,  prompted  by  a  desire  to  protect  the  interests  of 
his  men,  as  well  as  to  extend  a  helping  hand  to  his 
co-laborers,  came  to  the  front  nobly,  and  with  the  aid 
of  the  members  of  his  Order,  took  a  decided  stand  in 
favor  of  the  strikers.  The  switchmen  realized  that 
their  interests  were  largely  at  stake,  that  a  victory  for 
the  strikers  meant  a  victory  for  them,  and  vice  versa, 
and,,  with  this  feeling,  they  left  the  service  of  the 
company  in  a  body,  preferring  to  sacrifice  their  situa- 
tions rather  than  serve  in  the  employ  of  a  company 
that  refused  to  do  common  justice  to  its  employes. 
Candor  compels  the  admission,  that  we  are  indebted 
to  the  switchmen  for  aid  freely  given  in  the  hour  of 
our  direst  necessity.  They  acted  the  part  of  manly 
men,  and  are  entitled  to  the  thanks  and  gratitude  of 
the  Brotherhoods." 


54  THE    GEEAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

Equal  candor  on  the  part  of  those  who  signed 
the  above  circular  would  compel  the  admission  that 
the  switchmen  have  not  yet  received  that  which  was 
so  freely  promised  them  during  the  early  days  of 
March  and  on  the  night  of  March  22, — namely,  fed- 
eration. 

From  the  1st  of  March  until  the  22d,  Mr.Mona- 
ghan  was  in  frequent  consultation  with  Chiefs  Arthur 
and  Sargent.  It  was  evident  that  the  switchmen  in 
remaining  at  work  with  the  new  engineers  were  doing 
the  cause  an  incalculable  injury,  and  efforts  were 
made  to  overcome  this  new  difficulty. 

FEDERATION. 

The  switchmen  and  the  brakemen  were  willing 
and  anxious  to  unite  with  the  Brotherhood.  They 
did  not  wish  the  company  to  be  victorious  through 
aid  given  by  them,  and  they  were  equally  unwilling 
to  give  aid  to  the  Brotherhood  in  this  struggle 
and  receive  what  many  had  received  in  the  past, 
only  injury.  In  this  condition  of  affairs  an  ar- 
rangement was  made  whereby,  in  future  troubles,  the 
two  Brotherhoods  and  the  Association  of  Switchmen 
were  to  stand  faithfully  by  each  other.  It  was  at 
this  time  the  universal  opinion  among  the  switchmen, 
engineers  and  firemen  that  some  such  plan  should  be 
devised,  and  the  Constitutions  changed  accordingly, 
and  this  feeling  was  concurred  in  by  the  officers  of 
the  three  organizations.  The  legal  counsel  was 
called  into  the  conference  and  a  plan  formulated 
for   future   action,   which  was  to   be   subject  to  the 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  55 

Annual  Convention  of  each  organization.  True  to 
the  promises  given  by  Grand  Master  Sargent,  the 
Convention  of  Firemen  did,  in  September,  1888, 
put  forward  a  most  comprehensive  plan  of  fed- 
ration,  which  was  adopted  by  the  Convention  of 
Switchmen  in  the  same  month,  and  which  apparently 
died  at  the  Convention  of  Engineers  in  October. 

Whatever  the  action  since  taken,  the  switchmen 
were  then  perfectly  satisfied — particularly  so,  as  at 
the  union  meeting  held  in  Chicago  on  the  night  of 
March  22,  prominent  members  of    the  two  Brother- 
hoods from  all  parts  of  the  United  States  gave  their 
unqualified  approval  to  the  action  of    their  officers, 
and,  furthermore,  pledged  the  honor  of  the  Brother- 
hoods that  the  obligation  wTould  be  faithfully  met  and 
promptly  carried  out.     More  solemn  or  binding  obli- 
gations were  never  entered  into  by  men.     The  switch- 
men were  promised,  and  written  pledges  given  by  the 
officers  of  the  Brotherhoods,  that  the  same  financial 
assistance  given  to  the  engineers  engaged  in  the  strike 
should  also  be  given  to  them,  as  long  as  an  engineer 
received  a    dollar,  the  switchmen    should  receive  a 
like  amount. 

SWITCHMEN    ENTER    THE    STRIKE. 

On  the  morning  of  March  23  the  switchmen,  with 
the  consent  of  Grand  Master  Monaghan,  left  the  service 
of  the  Burlington  Company  in  Chicago,  not  one  single 
man  remaining  behind.  Out  of  seventeen  yardmasters, 
eleven  went  with  the  switchmen.  Two  of  these,  how- 
ever, remained  out  but  a  few  days,  and  then  returned 


3* 
56  THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q. 

to  the  service  of  the   company.     Of  the  switchmen, 
but  one  returned. 

ALONG    THE    LINE. 

Messengers  were  immediately  dispatched  over 
the  system  to  notify  the  switchmen  what  action  had 
at  last  been  decided  upon,  and  these,  with  few  excep- 
tions, took  the  same  course  as  was  taken  bv  their 
Chicago  brethren.  At  Aurora,  Galesburg,  Bur- 
lington, Ottumwa,  Creston,  Plattsmouth,  Omaha, 
Lincoln,  Kansas  City,  St.  Joe,  Beardstown,  and  all 
points  where  switch  engines  are  employed,  the  men, 
with  few  exceptions,  made  the  sacrifice  required  of 
them,  and  did  it  freely.  At  Quincy  the  men  also 
went  out ;  but  on  an  offer  of  the  agent  to  increase 
their  pay,  all  but  five  returned  to  work.  It  is  gratify- 
ing to  the  rest  of  the  men  to  know  that  this  promise 
was  never  fulfilled  to  the  Quincy  switchmen. 

BRAKEMEN. 

The  brakemen  did  not  go  out  in  this  movement,  as  was  ex- 
pected by  the  switchmen.  "  Written  pledges  were  offered  them 
by  the  Brotherhoods,  similar  to  those  accepted  by  the  Switch- 
men. Mr.  Wilkinson  did  not  feel  like  assuming  the  responsibil- 
ity of  calling  his  men  out  on  the  strength  of  these  pledges. 

The  constitution  gave  him  no  such  authority  and  he  did  not 
feel  like  taking  the  responsibility  of  doing  an  unconstitutional  act. 

The  feeling  among  those  actually  engaged  in  the  strike  is 
friendly  toward  the  Brotherhood  of  Brakemen.  1  hey  know  that 
these  men  were  not  opposed  to  them,  although  they  remained  in 
the  service  of  the  Company. 

SECOND    BOYCOTT. 

Immediately  after  the  switchmen  left  the  service 
of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  corporation,  a  meeting  of  yard  en- 
gineers, firemen  and  switchmen  was  held  at  Chicago, 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  57 

at  which  it  was  agreed  that  no  C,  B.  &  Q.  cars  should 
be  handled  from  and  after  that  time.  Upon  the  taking 
effect  of  this  agreement,  it  became  apparent  that  the 
yardmen  would  not  receive  the  support  of  many  of  the 
road  men  in  carrying  out  its  provisions ;  in  fact,  it 
was  currently  reported,  and  not  denied,  that  upon 
certain  lines  the  road  men  had  decided  to  handle  the 
business  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.,  in  the  event  of  the  yard 
men  declining  to  do  so.  This  division  in  the  policy 
of  the  men  created  the  most  intense  dissatisfaction, 
and  gave  rise  to  deep  indignation.  The  men  who 
declined  to  handle  C,  B.  &  Q.  cars  were  given  to  un- 
derstand that  dismissal  would  be  the  penalty  if  they 
persisted  in  carrying  out  that  policy.  Other  men 
were  ready  to  perform  their  duties.  To  adhere  to  the 
agreement  meant  the  sacrifice  of  their  situations.  A 
number  of  them  had  already  been  dismissed.  De- 
moralization- and  dismay,  the  fruit  of  discord  and  dis- 
union, were  beginning  to  take  root. 

ON    THE    C,    M.    &    ST.    P.    RAILWAY 

this  agreement  was  more  faithfully  carried  out. 
When  the  yard  engineers  refused  to  handle  "Q"  cars 
they  were  at  once  joined  by  the  switchmen  and  yard- 
masters  (including  the  General  Yardmaster).  Switch- 
tenders,  road  engineers  and  firemen,  brakemen,  and 
most  of  the  conductors  were  entirely  in  accord  with 
them.  The  result  was  a  general  closing  down  of 
business  on  the  road.  The  men  were  discharged,  and 
fully  one-third  of  the  entire  force  of  the  road  laid  off. 


58  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

The  company  evidently  intended  to  clear  the  decks  for 
a  great  battle. 

It  has  been  repeatedly  claimed,  that  if  the  other 
roads  centering  in  Chicago  had  made  the  prompt  action 
of  the  C,  M.  &  St.  P.  men  general,  the  boycott,  with 
all  that  the  term  implies  would  have  been  on  to  the 
fullest  extent. 

A    NEW    DEPARTURE 

was  demanded  to  avert  the  gravest  complications, 
which  seemed  inevitable.  A  meeting  was  called,  and 
counsel  was  taken  from  those  who  were  in  position  to 
map  out  a  new  and  better  line  of  action.  This  meet- 
ing was  addressed  by  the  Grand  Master  of  the  Switch- 
men's Association,  the  Grand  Master  of  the  Brother- 
hood of  Locomotive  Firemen,  General  Manager  JefTery 
of  the  Illinois  Central,  and  others.  The  situation 
was  clearly  denned,  the  peril  of  continuing  in  a  hope- 
less  crusade  against  C,  B.  &  Q.  cars  was  vividly  out- 
lined, and,  as  a. result  of  the  meeting,  traffic  was  re- 
sumed upon  the  several  railways  the  following  morn- 
ing, and  all  those  who  had  been  dismissed  for  refusing 
to  handle  C,  B.  &  Q.  cars  were  reinstated  in  their 
former  positions.  Much  unjust  criticism  has  been 
passed  upon  this  action,  and  yet  we  feel  confident  that 
if  the  situation  and  surrounding  conditions  had  been 
half  understood,  it  would  have  met  with  universal 
approval. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  unity  of  action  had 
not  been  secured,  and  there  was  no  authority  in  the 
Brotherhood  to  enforce  it,  even  if  the  chief  so-willed, 
which   he   evidently    did    not.       Under   the   circum- 


THE  GBEAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q.  59 

stances,  to  continue  the  boycott  against  "Q"  cars 
was  to  destroy  or  divide  the  Brotherhood;  the  men 
were  not  yet  educated  up  to  the  point  of  making  so 
great  a  sacrifice,  or  at  least  what  they  considered  a 
sacrifice. 

And  yet,  if  this  unity  of  action  had  been  attained, 
if  not  one  Brotherhood  man  in  the  United  States  had 
taken  another's  place  who  refused  to  handle  "Q"  cars, 
where  was  the  power  to  defeat  them  ?  Such  a  power 
does  not  exist !  Not  even  in  the  General  Government. 

KNIGHTS    OF    LABOR. 

At  the  very  outset  of  the  strike  it  was  claimed 
by  the  Burlington  management  that  Knights  of  Labor 
stood  ready  to  supplant  the  Brotherhoods  upon  their 
lines.  This  has  been  proven  to  be  a  misrepresenta- 
tion to  a  ^ery  great  extent.  It  was  true,  however,  that 
there  was  considerable  feeling  existing  between  the 
Knights  of  Labor  and  the  Brotherhood  of  Engineers, 
growing  out  of  the  strike  of  1873  and  the  Beading 
strike.  In  the  strike  of  "'73"  many  of  the  Knights 
of  Labor,  or  those  who  are  now  Knights,  took  the  places 
vacated  by  Brotherhood  men  on  the  Pennsylvania 
lines.  In  the  Reading  strike  of  the  Knights,  mem- 
bers of  the  Brotherhood,  in  turn,  supplanted  them. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  "Q"  strike,  individual 
members  of  the  Knights  of  Labor  took  it  upon  them- 
selves to  retaliate  upon  the  Brotherhood,  at  least  it 
was  called  retaliation,  but  the  object  was  apparently 
to  secure  better  jobs. 

There  is  positive  proof  that  these  measures  of 


60  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

retaliation  were  not,  in  either  case  authorized  by  the 
heads  of  the  organizations.  The  Burlington  Company 
sought  to  make  capital  for  themselves  out  of  this  old 
trouble,  and  did  everything  in  their  power  to  widen 
the  breach. 

During  the  months  of  January  and  February, 
the  agents  of  the  company  thoroughly  canvassed  the 
labor  districts  of  the  East,  searching  out  every  dissat- 
isfied Knight  and  every  unprincipled  character,  who 
could  by  any  possible  means  be  induced  to  put  the 
finishing  touches  to  his  disgrace.  Among  this  horde 
were  some  few  hitherto  respectable  workmen,  who 
were  induced  by  brilliant  promises  to  drop  their  re- 
spectability and  disgrace  themselves  by  joining  such 
a  band  and  for  such  a  cause.  Eetaliation  was  their 
excuse,  but  a  thinner  disguise  never  clothed  a 
scoundrel.  Had  the  Switchmen's  Mutual  Aid  Asso- 
ciation ever  done  them  a  wrong?  And  yet,  more  of 
these  so-called  Knights  are  switching  cars  to-dav  than 
are  handling  the  throttle  and  scoop. 

For  a  time  these  men  were  actually  thought  to 
be  Knights  of  Labor  in  good  standing,  and  coming 
West  with  the  full  sanction  of  their  Order.  Ample 
proof,  however,  exists  that  they  were  but  the  riffraff  of 
the  Order.  It  is  but  justice  to  the  Knights  of  Labor 
to  say  that  these  fellows  were  a  class  who  acknowl- 
edged allegiance  to  no  particular  Order,  and  recog- 
nized no  authority.  Many  of  them  belonged  to  sus- 
pended  Assemblies,  or  were  expelled  from  the  K.  of  L. 
as  well  as  from  the  B.  of  L.  E.  for  dissolute  habits  and 
other  causes. 


THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q.  61 

T.  V.  POWDERLY. 

On  February  29,  Grand  Master  Workman  Pow- 
derly,  issued  a  noted  letter  to  his  Order,  calling  upon 
them  to  stand  back  and  keep  hands  off  in  this  strike. 
The  following  extract  from  the  letter  demonstrates 
the  fact  that  Mr.  Powderly's  attitude  was  consistent 
with  justice  and  right.  "Let  the  past  be  forgotten  in 
this  strike ;  no  matter  how  bitter  you  may  feel  toward 
these  men,  remember  that  they  have  not  yet  stepped 
out  of  the  rut  of  selfishness,  and  it  is  best  to  teach 
them  what  manhood  means  by  keeping  your  hands 
off  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  strike.  The  spectacle  presented 
by  men  of  labor  who  belong  to  different  organizations 
rushing  at  each  other's  throats  whenever  a  strike 
takes  place,  must  be  a  gratifying  thing  to  the  employ- 
ers of  labor.  It  must  indeed  give  satisfaction  to  the 
corporations  to  know  that  neither  Knights  of  Labor 
nor  Brotherhood  men  dare  in  future  ask  for  better 
treatment,  with  any  assurance  of  receiving  it.  It 
must  be  a  consoling  thought  to  the  monopolist  to 
know  that  his  power  is  not  half  so  dangerous  to  the 
labor  organizations  as  the  possibility  that  another 
labor  organization  will  espouse  his  cause  through 
revenge.  Labor  will  forever  be  bound  hand  and  foot  X' 
at  the  feet  of  capital  as  long  as  one  workingman  can 
be  pitted  against  another. 

"  No  strike  should  be  entered  into  until  the  court  of 
last  resort  has  been  reached  ;  until  the  last  effort  con- 
sistent with  manhood  has  been  made ;  until  the  heads 
of  the  opposing  forces  on  both  sides  have  been  consulted, 
and  their  verdict  given ;  until  the  last  bridge  has  been 


62  THE    GEE  AT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

burned  between  them ;  then,  if  it  was  determined  that 
the  last  thing  possible  had  been  done  to  avert  trouble, 
every  detachment  of  labor's  army  —  horse,  foot  and 
artillery  —  should  be  wheeled  into  line  to  defend  the 
rights  of  men  in  the  breach.  Knights  of  Labor,  from 
Maine  to  California,  stand  back !  Keep  your  hands 
off !  Let  the  law  of  retaliation  be  disregarded,  and 
let  the  men  of  the  "  Q  "  road  win  this  strike  if  they  can  ! " 

That  all  of  these  men  did  not  stand  back  is  not 
the  fault  of  this  organization.  Bad  men  exist  in  every 
Order,  and  probably  always  will.  The  "Q"  retain 
many  of  them,  but  it  is  no  disgrace  to  the  Knights  of 
Labor.  They  are  men  who  have  not  the  principles  of 
Knighthood  in  their  hearts. 

About  the  middle  of  April  a  committee  of  Brother- 
hood men  went  East  to  confer  with  Grand  Master 
Workman  Powderly.  The  result  of  that  meeting  was 
that  all  Knights  of  Labor  who  still  acknowledged 
allegiance  to  that  Order  should  be  called  off  from  all 
lines  operated  by  the  Burlington  Company  where  they 
had  taken  the  places  of  strikers.  The  general  result 
of  this  order  was  not  very  satisfactory.  As  before  stated, 
they  were  a  class  of  men  who  recognized  no  authority 
from  any  labor  organization. 

The  following  circular  of  a  later  date  gives  the 
true  standing  of  the  Knights  of  Labor  on  this  question : 

Office  of  State  Master  Workman.  [ 
Beatrice,  Neb.,  June  21,  1888.      S 

AH   APPEAL. 

I  have  given  thorough  and  conscientious  examination 
into  the  troubles  existing  between  the  striking  Brotherhood 
of  Engineers,  Firemen  and  Switchmen  and  the  Chicago,  Bur- 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  63 

lington  &  Quincy  Railroad  Company.  The  justice  of  their 
cause  against  this  corporation  appeals  to  my  judgment  and 
my  sympathies.  It  should  arouse  every  Knight  of  Labor  in 
the  State,  and  place  him  to  the  front  in  defense  of  their 
cause  and  in  placing  opprobrium  upon  the  Burlington  mo- 
nopoly. The  Order  should  take  a  distinctive  and  pronounced 
stand  for  these  men,  who  are  simply  battling  for  justice,  and 
no  more.  What  is  the  purpose  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  people  in 
this  struggle  with  the  Brotherhood?  It  is  to  stamp  organized 
labor  with  defeat,  and  millions  of  dollars  are  behind  them  to 
accomplish  this  residt.  Should  they  succeed,  every  laborer 
and  producer  will  sink  lower  in  the  scale  of  manhood  and 
deeper  into  the  degradation  of  slavery.  It  is  the  purpose  of 
the C,  B.  &  Q.  to  fasten  perpetual  manacles  upon  them,  from 
which  there  can  be  no  escape  but  in  death.  It  means  slavery  for 
all  who  toil,  more  appalling  and  horrible  than  the  slavery  of 
the  South,  the  fetters  of  which  were  broken  by  war. 

I  urge,  therefore,  upon  every  knight  in  the  State  to  boy- 
cott this  road  that  is  the  enemy  of  labor.  Do  not  ride  in  its 
cars.  Drive  your  stock  to  some  competing  line,  and  do  not 
sell  your  grain  where  it  will  be  shipped  by  them.  Let  the 
boycott  be  absolute  and  complete  so  far  as  your  patronage 
goes.  Have  nothing  to  do  with  those  who  are  in  business  and 
employ  this  road  in  any  capacity.  Spend  your  dollars  with 
those  who  are  the  friends  of  organized  labor.  Persuade  your 
friends  to  adopt  the  same  course. 

There  is  only  one  debt  that  the  Knights  of  Labor  owe  to 
the  C,  B.  &  Q.  road,  and  that  is  the  infamy  of  their  eternal 
hate.  Its  hand  has  forever  been  raised  against  us.  Whenever 
its  employes  have  come  to  our  ranks,  that  was  sufficient  ground 
for  their  discharge  from  its  service.  Its  power,  its  wealth,  its 
secret  detective  service  and  all  the  means  at  its  command 
have  been  aimed  at  our  destruction.  Do  not  stop  to  consider 
that  there  have  been  differences  in  the  past  between  the 
Knights  of  Labor  and  the  Brotherhoods.  It  is  not  the  time  to 
argue  which  organization  has  been  in  the  wrong.  The  past  is 
a  dead  thing;  let  us  give  our  thoughts  to  the  future  and  the 
living  present. 

The  question  is,  are  we  going  to  help  this  corporation  to 
destroy  labor  organizations,  or  are  we  going  to  present  a  solid 
front,  a  phalanx  of  determined  men,  who  will  say  to  the  Brother- 


64:  THE    GEE  AT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

hoods,  "We  will  stand  by  you  till  you  conquer  in  this  fight, 
and  all  the  power  of  our  membership  and  assemblies  will  be 
directed  to  help  you  win." 

This  is  my  theory  of  true  knighthood,  and  I  want  to  see 
it  placed  in  successful  practice  in  the  present  grave  emergency. 

Let  us  do  more  than  this.  Let  us  make  certain  the 
defeat  of  this  corporation  as  a  lasting  memorial  that  will  bear 
a  lesson  to  all  corporations  so  long  as  time  shall  be. 

Fraternally, 

M.  D.  Hubbaed,  S.  M.  W. 

STATE    RAILWAY    COMMISSION. 

This  book  would  be  incomplete  did  it  not  give  an 
extract  of  the  testimony  taken  before  the  State  Board 
of  Warehouse  and  Railway  Commissioners  on  the  3d, 
1th  and  5th  days  of  April,  1888.  This  testimony  grew 
out  of  the  charges  made  before  the  Board  by  the  citi- 
zens of  Aurora.  We  are  indebted  to  the  Sunday  World 
of  April  15  for  the  matter  herein  contained,  which 
was  not  published  or  referred  to  by  any  other  Chicago 
paper,  and  was  suppressed  by  the  Board. 

Citizens  of  Aurora  vs.  The  C,  B.  <£  Q.  Railway  Company: 

Testimony  taken  before  the  Board  of  Warehouse  and 
Eailway  Commissioners  of  Illinois,  on  the  3d,  4th  and  5th 
days  of  April,  A.  D.  18S8: 

Present:  Alexander  Sullivan,  Esq.,  on  behalf  of  the 
citizens  of  Aurora;  Chester  A.  Dawes,  Esq.,  on  behalf  of  the 
C,  B.  &  Q.  Eailway  Company. 

Franklin  L.  Bliss,  a  witness  called  on  behalf  of  the  com- 
plainants, having  been  duly  sworn,  was  examined  in  chief  by 
Mr.  Sullivan,  and  testified  as  follows: 

Q.  What  is  your  name?    A.   Franklin  L.  Bliss. 

Where  do  you  live  ?    Eock  Island,  Illinois. 

What  is  your  occupation?    Locomotive  engineer. 

In  what  company's  employ  are  you?  Chicago,  Milwau- 
kee &  St.  Paul. 

How  long  have  you  been  a  locomotive  engineer?  Over 
twenty-three  years. 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  65 

Were  you  the  engineer  on  the  train  on  the  Milwaukee 
road  with  which  a  Quincy  train  collided  on  February  27? 
I  was. 

State  to  the  Board,  as  briefly  as  you  can,  the  circum- 
stances; what  you  did  at  that  crossing;  what  it  was  your  duty  to 
do  as  to  stopping  and  giving  signals,  and  whether  or  not  you 
performed  your  duty,  and  then  state  the  occurrence  of  the  acci- 
dent? When  I  was  within  half  a  mile  of  this  crossing  I  gave  a 
long  signal  for  the  crossing ;  I  brought  the  train  to  a  full 
stop  within  400  feet  of  the  railroad  crossing ;  then  I  stepped 
over  and  looked  on  the  left  side  of  the  engine,  and  could  see 
no  train  or  hear  no  train  on  the  left ;  on  the  right  there  was 
no  train  I  could  see  ;  then  I  gave  two  whistles  and  started  my 
train  foi\the  crossing  ;  when  I  got  the  engine  onto  the  crossing 
(the  cab  was  about  on  the  crossing)  I  looked  to  the  left  and 
saw  a  train  coming  down  the  Burlington  track  right  at  me. 

Commissioner  Marsh:  Ju:>t  after  you  got  on  the  cross- 
ing? A.  Yes  ;  the  cab  of  the  engine  was  about  on  the  cross- 
ing when  I  saw. 

Commissioner  Kinaker:  Was  there  anything  to  hinder 
you  seeing  that  train  before  you  got  onto  the  crossing? 

Commissioner  Marsh:  Any  obstruction  in  the  way?  A. 
Well  there  is  a  cut  on  the  east.  I  should  think  the  mouth  of 
the  cut  was  some  900  feet  from  the  crossing  on  the  Burling- 
ton road. 

Mr.  Sullivan:  When  you  looked  before  you  started 
your  engine  was  there  anything  between  you  and  that  cross- 
ing— was  the  engine  in  sight?    A.   No,  sir. 

Q.  Describe  the  grade  on  the  Quincy  road  between  that 
cut  and  where  the  collision  occurred  at  the  crossing;  is  it 
smooth  ?    It  is  down-grade  to  the  crossing. 

From  the  mouth  of  the  cut  ?    Yes,  sir. 

To  the  crossing  ?    Yes,  sir. 

Did  that  engine,  after  it  came  out  of  that  cut,  stop  be- 
fore it  reached  the  crossing  and  collided  with  your  train  ? 
A.   No,  sir. 

It  did  not  ?    No,  sir.    1  gave  two  short  whistles  before  I 
started  the  train,  after  making  the  stop. 

You  came  to  a  full  stop  ?    I  came  to  a  fall  stop  ;  yes,  sir. 

Commissioner  Rogers :  What  crossing  do  you  have 
reference  to — the  crossing  at   Aurora  ?     A.   This  crossing  is 


66  THE    GEE  AT    STEIEE    ON    THE    Q. 

just  about  two  miles  and  a  quarter  south  of  Fulton  Junction, 
on  the  Milwaukee  road. 

Q.   Where  the  C,  B.  &  q.  crosses  ?    A.    Yes,  sir. 

Commissioner  Einaker:  How  near  to  the  crossing  were 
you  when  you  stopped?  Within  400  feet;  the  cylinder  of  my 
engine  was  just  about  opposite  the  stopping  board. 

Q.  Go  on  and  describe  the  accident.  You  were  describ- 
ing what  you  did,  the  signals  you  gave ;  go  on  an  i  finish 
that.    A.   That  was  all  the  signals  I  did  give. 

Two  sharp  whistles?  Yes  ;  then  I  started  the  train.  I 
didn't  see  the  train  till  the  engine  got  on  the  crossing,  just 
about  the  cab.  The  "Q"  engine  struck  my  tender  just  about 
midway  of  the  back  truck. 

Mr.  Sullivan  :  What  damage,  if  you  know,  wras  done  to 
your  train,  and  to  the  other,  and  what  injuries  to  persons  ? 

Commissioner  Einaker  :  The  back  truck  of  your  engine 
or  tender?  A.  Of  the  tender — it  tbrowed  my  tender  or  the 
tank  down  into  the  ditch  ;  took  the  back  truck  with  it,  and 
thro  wed  the  mail  car  also  down  the  bank  ;  wrecked  the  mail 
car,  too;  also  the  "Q"'  engine  went  off  the  track,  and  run 
along ;  the  engine  and  baggage  car  kind  of  went  over,  nearly 
onto  one  side  ;  went  into  the  ground  and  stopped. 

Q.   Was  yours  a  passenger  train  ?    A.    Yes,  sir. 

Was  the  other  the  "  Q"  ?    Yes,  sir. 

Both  passenger  trains  ?    Yes,  sir. 

Who,  if  anyone,  was  hurt  on  your  train  ?  There  was  a 
route  agent  by  the  name  of  Wilhelm  ;  I  don't  know  exactly 
what  his  name  was. 

Where  does  he  live,  do  you  know  ?  Eock  Island,  I  think. 
An  express  messenger  by  the  name  of  Morrison. 

Do  you  know  where  he  lived  ?    I  do  not. 

Who  else  ?    A  mail  agent  by  the  name  of  Brown. 

Do  you  know  whether  or  not  anyone  was  hurt  on  their 
train — the  Quincy  train  ?  The  roadmaster,  engineer  and  con- 
ductor of  the  train. 

That  was  all  that  was  injured?  That  was  all  that  was 
injured. 

Do  you  knowT  their  names  ?    I  do  not. 

F.  L.  Bliss,  being  recalled,  was  examined  by  Mr.  Sulli- 
van, and  testified  as  follows  : 

Q.     At  what  rate  of  sj^eed  did  yon  pull  out  after  you  left 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  67 

that  400-foot  board— between  that  and  the  crossing?  A.  I 
pulled  out  slow  ;  it  would  not  average  over  about  six  or  eight 
miles  an  hour,  anyway. 

Were  you  trying  to  make  up  for  your  lost  time  ?  No,  sir. 

Why?  We  have  an  order  not  to  make  up  any  time  from 
Fulton  Junction  to  three  miles  west  of  Albany.  There  was  an 
order  on  the  board,  and  has  been  there. 

So  that  you  were  not  trying  to  make  up  time,  and  were 
not  running  at  an  extraordinary  rate  of  speed  ?  Not  running 
any  faster  than  though  Ave  had  been  right  on  time. 

And  you  think  the  time  you  were  running  between  that 
400  feet  and  the  crossing  was  about  six  to  eight  miles  ?  I  don't 
think  when  we  was  on  the  crossing — I  don't  think  it  was  over 
eight  miles  an  hour,  anyway — six  or  eight. 

Mr.  Dawes :  You  rely  on  your  fireman,  don't  you,  to 
look  out  for  his  side  ?    A.  No,  sir. 

Who  do  you  rely  on  ?  I  hardly  ever  go  over  the  crossing 
without  looking  myself ;  still,  he  tells  me,  but  I  think  it  is 
safer  to  look  myself. 

You  looked  on  your  side  ?    I  did. 

Did  you  look  out  on  the  other  side  ?    I  did. 

Where  did  you  look  out  last  ?    Before  I  started. 

Before  you  started  from  the  400-foot  post  ?    Yes,  sir. 

Did  you  look  out  after  that  at  all  ?  Not  after  I  started 
on  the  train  until  I  got  on  the  crossing. 

The  fireman  was  shoveling  in  coal,  wasn't  he — firing  up  ? 
Yes,  sir. 

Did  you  look  out  of  your  side  of  the  cab  after  you  left 
the  400-foot  station,  down  the  Burlington  track  ?  Yes,  sir  ;  I 
looked  on  my  side. 

How  long  has  that  400-foot  post  been  there,  do  you 
know  ?     The  400 -foot  on  our  track  ? 

Yes.  It  has  been  there  ever  since  I  have  run  down 
there.  I  have  been  running  about  fourteen  years  on  that 
run.    I  don't  know  how  much  longer  it  has  been  there. 

Mr.  Sullivan:  That  is  all.  The  people  that  have  been 
injured  we  could  not  get. 

Mr.  Dawes:  We  will  admit  people  were  injured.  The 
engineer  we  shall  call  was  injured  more  than  anybody  else. 

D.  W.  Rhodes,  a  witness  called  on  behalf  of  the  Chicago, 
Burlington   &   Quincy  Railroad   Company,   being  first  duly 


68  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

sworn,  was  examined  in  chief  by  "Mr,  Dawes,  and  testified  as 
follows: 

Q.    What  is  your  full  name?    A.     D.  W.  Rhodes. 

"What  is  your  business?  Superintendent  of  motive  power 
on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  road. 

Are  the  engineers  responsible  to  you?  Through  my 
assistants  they  are  directly  responsible  to  me, 

But  they  are  immediate  employes  of  your  department? 
They  are  immediate  employes  of  my  department. 

Of  which  you  are  the  head?    Yes,  sir. 

Do  you  know  Mr.  Pearce?    Yes,  sir. 

What  is  his  business  now,  and  what  was  it  on  the  19th 
day  of  March?  Mr.  Pearce  is  assistant  engineer  of  tests  in 
our  labratory  at  Aurora. 

Is  he  an  engineer  in  the  employ  of  the  Burlington  road 
now?    He  is  not  a  locomotive  engineer. 

Was  he  ever,  at  any  time,  an  engineer  in  the  employ  of 
the  Burlington  road?  He  was  never  examined  as  an  engineer 
for  the  Burlington  road. 

You  say  he  was  not?    No,  sir;  he  was  not. 

Where  was  he  sent?  He  was  sent  on  this  Clinton  run, 
from  Mendota  to  Clinton. 

Do  you  know  about  what  time  that  run  is  made?  No,  I 
do  not. 

Was  anybody  sent  with  him?  He  had  a  pilot,  the  road- 
master  was  his  pilot. 

The  roadinaster  of  that  section  or  division?  Yes,  sir.  I 
am  not  very  clear  about  what  Mr.  Pearce's  crew  was.  I  had 
to  take  an  engine  out  myself  that  morning,  and  I  was  not  at 
Aurora. 

Mr.  Sullivan:  Do  ycu  know  anything  about  it  at  all, 
except  from  hearsay?  Do  you  know  from  your  own  knowl- 
edge who  was  on  the  train?    A.   From  being  present,  no. 

Mr.  Sullivan:  This  testimony  on  that  subject  should  be 
stricken  out.  The  witness:  May  I  make  one  correction?  I 
said  I  took  an  engine  out  myself  that  morning ;  I  fired  an 
engine  out  that  morning. 

Cross-examination  by  Mr.  Sullivan: 

Q.  Did  Mr.  Pearce  ever  run  a  locomotive  engine  before? 
A.   Mr.  Pearce  had  handled  a  locomotive  engine;  yes,  sir. 

The  question  was,  did  he  ever  run  a  locomotive  engine 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  69 

before?    Please  answer  that?     I  am  not  able  to  say  whether 
he  did  or  not. 

Are  you  in  the  habit,  when  exercising  your  best  judg- 
ment to  select  engineers,  to  put  a  man  on  the  road  to  run  a 
locomotive  engine  when  you  don't  know  whether  he  has  ever 
run  one  before  or  not?  In  a  case  like  this,  where  our  trains 
were 

In  any  case?    We  do  so;  I  would  do  so  again. 

Where  the  lives  of  the  public  and  the  property  of  the 
public  are  in  peril,  you  will  take  a  man  without  knowing 
whether  he  ever  ran  an  engine  before  or  not,  and  put  him  in 
charge  of  an  engine?  No,  sir;  Mr.  Pearce's  education  and 
training  justified  me  in  believing  that  he  could  handle  that 
train  properly. 

Do  you  believe  any  technical  education  in  the  shops, 
without  practical  experience,  fits  a  man  to  be  placed  in 
charge  of  an  engine  to  which  is  attached  a  passenger  train? 
Properly  guided  by  a  pilot  and  conductor  on  the  engine,  I 
say  so,  decidedly. 

You  would  do  so  at  any  time?  If  there  had  been  no 
strike,  you  would  select  a  man  of  that  experience,  would  you? 
I  would  only  do  that  under  the  circumstances  as  we  were. 

Only  under  emergencies?    Yes,  sir. 

You  would  not  say  generally  it  is  a  wise  thing  for  a  rail- 
road to  do;  would  you?  I  would  say  under  circumstances 
such  as  we  were  left  in  there  it  was  a  wise  thing  for  us  to  do. 

I  ask  you  generally?  If  I  had  time  to  make  a  thorough 
examination  of  a  man  I  certainly  would  do  it. 

William  H.  Pearce,  a  witness  called  on  behalf  of  the  C, 
B.  &  Q.  railroad  company,  being  first  duly  sworn,  was  exam- 
ined in  chief  by  Mr.  Dawes,  and  testified  as  follows: 

Q.     What  is  your  name?    A.     William  H.  Pearce. 

What  is  your  business?  Assistant  engineer  of  tests  in 
the  C,  B.  &  Q. 

State  under  what  circumstances  you  to  k  this  engine  on 
the  27th  day  of  February  last?  Upon  learning  of  the  strike,  I, 
with  several  other  young  men,  signed  a  letter  to  Mr.  Rhodes 
offering  to  go  out  in  any  position  which  they  should  deem 
it  advisable.  I  was  detailed  by  the  Master  Mechanic  to  go  to 
Mendota  and  take  that  train  to  Fulton,  with  the  understand- 
ing that  I  was  to  have  a  pilot;  w7e  struck  the  train;  we  had  as 


70  THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q. 

pilot  the  roadoiaster.  We  left  Mendota  five  minutes  late,  and 
we  were  about  six  minutes  late  when  I  first  see  the  St.  Paul 
train. 

How  far  was  that  out  of  Mendota,  do  you  remember? 
It  was  somewhere  about  in  the  neighborhood  of  sixty  miles. 

You  had  lost  a  minute  in  sixty  miles,  had  you?  Lost  a 
minute  in  running  sixty  miles. 

Who  were  with  you  on  the  engine  beside  the  road- 
master?  When  we  started  out  of  Mendota  there  was  only 
Mr.  Chapin,  the  civil  engineer  of  the  Chicago  Division,  and  the 
roadmaster,  Mr.  Seegers,  and  a  machinist  who  came  from 
the  Aurora  shop.  After  leaving  Garden  Plain,  which  is  the 
last  stop  before  arriving  at  the  crossing,  the  conductor  also 
came  on  the  engine. 

Were  you  familiar  with  that  division,  had  you  ever  run 
over  it  before?  No,  I  never  knew  it;  I  never  run  over  it  at 
all. 

Now  state,  Mr.  Pearce,  how  this  accident  occurred.  We 
were  going  along,  I  should  judge,  about  forty -five  miles  an 
hour.  I  will  preface  it  by  saying  that  the  roadmaster  was 
very  careful  all  the  way  coming  up,  and  I  had  no  reason  what- 
soever to  fear  any  lack  of  duty  in  warning  me  of  any  such 
place;  we  were  going  about  forty-five  miles  an  hour,  and  I 
had  to  look  out  for  my  water;  it  was  getting  a  little  dark;  we 
were  going  west;  of  course  it  cast  a  shadow  and  I  could  not 
see  the  water  glass;  after  losing  a  little  time  that  way  I  tried 
my  gauge  cocks;  when  I  got  throngh  with  that  I  looked  up 
and  I  saw  this  St.  Paul  train;  that  is  the  first  intimation  I  had 
of  the  crossing. 

What  did  you  do  then?  I  shut  off  and  put  on  the 
brakes. 

Right  off,  did  you?    Yes,  sir. 

You  struck  this  train  as  described?  I  struck  a  train; 
yes. 

Did  you  do  everything  in  your  power  to  prevent  that 
accident?  Yes,  sir;  I  don't  see  how  I  could  do  anything 
more. 

Commissioner  Rinaker:  Tell  exactly  what  you  did  do? 
A.     I  shut  off  and  put  the  air  on. 

How  far  were  you  from  the  train,  in  your  judgment, 
when  you  did  that?    I  should  say  in  the  neighborhood  of  600 


THE    GKEAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  71 

feet  when  I  saw  it,  and  I  would  say  right  here  about  the 
speed,  that  that  speed,  down  grade,  would  require  about  a 
thousand  feet  to  stop;  it  has  been  proved  by  the  Burlington 
tests. 

Mr.  Dawes:  What  became  of  you,  do  you  know?  A.  I 
only  know  that  from  hearsay.  I  know  I  was  knocked  oft'  the 
engine  and  they  got  me  up;  I  was  leaning  against  the  drivers, 
they  told  me,  laying  up  against  the  drivers;  the  engine 
jumped  the  track,  I  understand;  I  don't  know;  I  didn't  remem- 
ber anything  until  the  next  morning. 

Is  your  sight  good — your  eyesight?  Yes;  I  think  my 
sight  is  normal,  with  my  glasses. 

You  can  see  at  a  distance,  can  you,  as  well  as  ordinary 
individuals?    I  think  so. 

In  reference  to  your  hearing?  Well,  I  am  hard  of  hear- 
ing in  a  room,  but  I  am  not  hard  of  hearing  on  an  engine. 

Had  you  received  any  warning  before  coming,  to  this 
crossing,  as  far  as  you  remember  of  it?    No. 

It  is  fair  to  say  that  the  roadmaster  says  he  warned  you; 
I  say  that  in  justification  of  him.     He  says  he  did. 

You  did  not  hear  any  notice;  that  is  what  you  swear,  isn't 
it?    I  did  not  hear  him. 

Are  you,  in  your  own  judgment,  from  your  education 
and  experience,  both  in  study  and  on  the  road,  capable  of 
running  a  locomotive  engine?  On  such  a  train  as  that,  yes; 
it  is  a  branch  road,  and  there  are  comparatively  few  trains;  I 
would  not  care  about  going  on  a  main  line. 

Cross-examination  by  Mr.  Sullivan:  Who  was  the  pilot 
who  was  furnished  you?    A  Mr.  Seegers,  the  roadmaster. 

Can  you  not  hear  without  putting  your  hand  up?  I 
don't  wish  to  be  offensive,  but  I  want,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  to 
find  out.  Not  in  that  tone.  I  can  hear,  yes;  but  I  can  hear 
better  by  putting  it  up,  as  anyone  could  reasonably  argue; 
probably  you  can  yourself.  It  is  not  necessary  to  do  that 
where  there  is  any  noise  or  confusion  going  on. 

-  Could  you  have  heard  a  notice  to  stop,  or  a  notice  that 
there  was  a  crossing,  if  Seegers  had  given  it  to  you?  I  would 
have  heard  as  well  as  any  other  person. 

Then  you  would  have  heard  him  if  he  gave  such  an  order 
or  gave  such  information?  You  are  very  well  aware  of  the  fact 
you  have  to  speak  more  or  less  loud  on  an  engine  to  anyone. 


72  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

Did  anyone  speak  more  or  less  loud  to  you  as  to  notify 
you  that  there  was  a  crossing  there,  and  that  you  should  stop 
400  feet  from  it?     No. 

Did  you  notice  the  crossing  board  on  the  Quincy  road? 
I  did  not. 

There  is  a  board  400  feet  from  that  crossing,  four  or  five 
feet  in  height? 

Mr.  Dawes:    Who  says  there  is  a  board  there? 

Mr.    Sullivan:     I  will  show  there  is  by  another  witness. 

Mr.  Dawes:  There  may  be,  but  I  have  not  heard  any- 
body say  so  yet. 

Mr  Sullivan:  How  long  would  it  have  taken  you  to 
bring  that  train  to  a  fall  stop,  running  at  the  rate  of  forty-five 
miles  an  hour?  When  I  say  how  long,  I  mean  in  distance;  at 
what  space  from  that  crossing  should  you  have  attempted  to 
bring  it  to  a  full  stop  iu  order  to  stop  it?  A.  If  I  knew  the 
crossing? 

How  long  would  it  take  a  train  to  stop?  It  would  take 
in  the  neighboirhood  of  1,000  feet. 

You  could  not  have  stopped  it  at  the  rate  of  speed  you 
were  running  if  you  had  noticed  it  at  the  400  feet  distance? 
No,  sir. 

When  you  got  out  of  the  cut  was  any  information  given 
to  you  that  it  was  necessary  to  stop  there?  I  received  no  in- 
formation. The  first  intimation  I  had  was  the  sight  of  the  train. 

Mr.  Sullivan:  Was  there  an  engineer  on  the  cab  with 
you  at  the  time?    Yes,  sir. 

Wasn't  that  engineer  who  was  en  the  cab  at  that  time 
held  responsible  for  it?     He  was. 

When  you  were  held  responsible  for  it  you  never  in  your 
life  run  an  engine  that  length  before,  did  you?    No,  sir. 

If  you  had  been  working  at  the  engine-house,  and  there 
was  no  such  emergency  as  this,  would  you  have  considered 
yourself  competent  to  do  it?  Not  on  a  road  in  which  I  was 
entirely  unfamiliar. 

You  were  entirely  unfamiliar  with  this,  were  you  not? 
I  was  entirely  unfamiliar. 

Did  you  shut  off  steam  before  you  saw  the  Milwaukee 
train?    No,  sir. 

How  f  ar  was  it  from  you  when  you  did  shut  off  the  steam? 
Fifty  or  sixty  feet. 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  73 

Did  you  reverse  the  engine?  No,  sir,  I  did  not.  With 
a  well  designed  driver-brake  there  is  no  benefit  in  reversing 
the  engine. 

Did  you  bring  the  lever  down  in  front  ?    No,  sir. 

Did  you  drop  the  reverse  lever  forward  when  you  shut 
off?    I  don't  remember  that  particularly. 

When  you  put  the  air  on,  did  you  use  all  that  was 
indicated  on  your  gauge?    I  naturally  should  do  so. 

Did  you?  No,  I  slapped  the  air  around,  put  the  handle 
full  around ;  I  didn't  stop  to  see  wrhat  was  indicated  on  the 
gauge. 

Did  you  use  any  sand?    No. 

Were  quite  excited  at  the  time?  I  suppose  I  naturally 
was. 

You  lost  your  head  in  fact;  isn't  that  the  fact  now  ?  No, 
because  it  is  stillton  my  shoulders. 

You  might  as  well  have  been  without  a  head;  you  lost 
your  judgment,  didn't  you?  I  don't  see  that  any  judgment 
would  come  in  after  having  shut  the  steam  off  and  put  the  air 
on. 

Couldn't  you  have  used  sand?    I  did  not. 

You  could  have  used  it  if  you  had  thought  of  it?  No,  sir; 
because  I  didn't  see  any  benefit;  as  long  as  the  drivers  don't 
slip  it  is  all  right. 

Do  you  know  that  sand  will  help  to  stop  a  train  quicker? 
No,  sir  I  don't  know  it. 

Do  you  swear  it  will  not?  No,  sir,  because  I  have  never 
made  any  experiment  in  that. 

Then  you  know  nothing  about  it?  You  don't  know 
whether  it  would  help  or  not?  I  have  only  my  judgment, 
which  is  formed  after  quite  an  elaborate  series  of  experiments 
on  the  brakes. 

John  F.  Laughlin  was  examined  in  chief  by  Mr.  Sullivan, 
and  testified : 

Q.  What  is  your  name?    A.  John  Francis  Laughlin. 

Where  do  you  live?    At  818  Washtenaw  avenue. 

What  is  your  business?  Switchman,  in  charge  of  switch 
engine. 

For  what  road  are  you  working?  Chicago,  Burlington 
&  Quincy;  I  was  at  one  time,  until  I  quit. 


74  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

Were  you  employed  on  the  23d  of  March  for  that  road? 
Yes,  sir. 

Why  did  you  quit?  Because  I  did  not  see  fit  to  work 
with  incompetent  engineers. 

What  were  you  engaged  at  on  the  evening  of  March  23d, 
and  where  were  you  employed?  March  23d  I  did  not  do  much. 
I  only  took  one  train  to  the  Stock  Yards  and  came  back.  This 
accident  I  have  reference  to  happened  March  22d,  I  believe,  at 
10:30  p.  m. 

What  were  you  doing  on  the  evening  of  the  22d,  and  where 
were  you  employed?  On  the  evening  of  the  22d  of  March  I 
had  fifty  cars  shoving  into  the  new  yard  at  Hawthorne,  which 
is  about  three  miles  and  a  half,  as  near  as  I  can  judge,  from 
Western  avenue.  We  stopped  to  give  me  a  chance  to  raise 
the  semaphore  for  the  protection  of  trains  coming  east,  and 
also  set  the  switches  going  into  the  new  yard.  I  got  up  and 
gave  the  signal  to  go  ahead,  and  as  I  did  a  crash  came. 

What  character  of  train  was  it  that  run  into  yours — a 
freight?    A  freight  train. 

What  was  the  condition  of  the  track,  so  far  as  obstruc- 
tions were  concerned,  between  your  train  and  the  train  which 
collided  with  you?  There  was  no  obstruction  whatever;  there 
was  a  clear  view  four  miles  or  three  miles  and  a  half;  some- 
thing like  that. 

What  time  in  the  evening  was  it?    About  half-past  ten. 

Had  you  a  headlight  on  your  engine?    Yes,  sir. 

Had  you  a  light  on  the  other  end  of  your  train  ?  No, 
sir;  only  my  own  lamp. 

You  were  at  that  end?     And  a  red  light;  yes,  sir. 

You  had  a  red  light,  as  well?    Yes,  sir. 

Do  you  know  the  number  of  the  engine  which  collided 
with  yours?     Yes,  sir;  310. 

What  was  the  number  of  yours?    176. 

Was  engine  310  flagged?  I  presume  it  was,  according  to 
my  helpers'  statement. 

Your  helpers  are  here,  are  they?    Yes,  sir. 

You  had  enough  helpers  to  give  the  necessary  flagging? 
I  believe  I  had:  I  had  two. 

To  how  many  of  these  new  men  did  you  give  signals  who 
were  unable  to  answer  or  failed  to  answer  the  signals?  I  should 
say  three  or  four. 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  75 

Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  any  of  them  in  re- 
lation to  the  signals?  No,  sir;  well,  I  had  a  conversation  with 
one;  I  gave  him  a  signal  and  he  says,  "  I  don't  understand 
that  signal." 

Was  that  signal  which  you  gave  him  and  which  he  said 
he  did  not  understand  the  usual  signal  given  by  railroad  men? 
Yes,  sir. 

The  same  signal  which  has  been  used  on  the  road  all  the 
time  you  have  been  in  its  employ?    Yes,  sir. 

When  was  that,  about  what  time?  That  was  a  couple  or 
three  nights  before  I  left. 

Commissioner  Marsh:  State  what  conversation  between 
you  and  him  there  at  the  time  he  told  you  he  did  not  under- 
stand that  signal?  I  merely  gave  him  a  signal  to  back  up. 
He  says,  "Partner,  I  don't  understand  that  signal."  I  merely 
says  to  him,  "What  kind  do  you  understand — steamboat  sig- 
nals?"   He  says,  "No,  stationary  engines." 

William  G.  Frisbie  was  examined  by  Mr.  Sullivan  and 
testified: 

Q.  Were  you  on  the  train  to  which  engine  176  was  at- 
tached?   A.     I  belonged  to  that  crew. 

At  Hawthorne,  March  22  I  belonged  to  that  crew? 
Yes,  sir. 

Did  you  flag  310  that  night?    I  did. 

State  to  the  Commissioners  how  far  you  went  from  your 
own  engine,  176,  to  flag  310,  the  one  which  collided  with  it?  I 
can  tell  you  perhaps  better  by  car  lengths;  I  can  make  a  guess 
at  the  number  of  feet.  I  did  not  measure  it  exactly.  I  should 
think  it  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  1,500  feet  to  2,000  feet  that 
I  was  back  of  where  our  engine  stood.  I  found  the  train  was 
not  coming  to  a  stop,  and  kept  going  back  myself  as  long  as  it 
was  possible,  giving  them  all  the  swing  that  it  was  proper  and 
right  to  stop  him.  He  paid  not  the  slightest  attention  to  my 
signal;  never  even  whistled  for  brakes  until  after  his  train 
passed  me. 

Did  you  start  back  as  soon  as  your  train  stopped  to  flag? 
Yes,  sir. 

You  went  as  far  as  you  could?    Yes,  sir. 

Re-direct  examination  by  Mr.  Sullivan: 

Q.     Did  you  ever,  in  all  your  experience,  know  a  case 


76  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

where  an  engineer  was  flagged  on  a  clear  track,  as  in  this  case, 
and  disobeyed  a  signal  and  run  into  another  train?    No,  sir. 

Stewart  W.  Hadlock,  examined  in  chief  by  Mr.  Sullivan, 
testified  as  follows: 

Q.     What  is  your  name  ?    A.     Stewart  W.  Hadlock. 

Where  do  you  reside?    At  Aurora. 

What  is  your  business?    Eugineer. 

How  long  have  you  been  an  engineer?     Nineteen  years. 

In  what  company's  employ  were  you  recently?  C,  B.  &  Q. 

How  long  were  you  in  the  employ  of  that  company? 
Twenty-three  years. 

As  engineer  and  fireman?    Engineer  and  fireman  both. 

Do  you  know  Hose  De  Witt?     I  do. 

Do  you  know  in  whose  employ  he  now  is?  He  is  in  the 
employ  of  the  C.  B.  &  Q. 

In  what  capacity?    Passenger  engineer. 

Hector  H.  Hall  was  examined  in  chief  by  Mr.  Sullivan, 
and  testified : 

Q      What  is  your  name?    A.     Hector  H.  Hall. 

Where  do  you  live?     At  Pullman. 

What  is  your  occupation?    Engineer. 

What  company  are  you  working  for?  Pullman  Company. 

Do  you  know  Hose  De  Witt?     Yes,  sir. 

How  long  have  you  known  him?     About  eight  years. 

Is  he  a  sober  man?    No,  sir. 

What  is  his  general  reputation  for  sobriety?  He  is  an 
habitual  drunkard. 

Is  that  the  reputation  in  the  neighborhood  where  he 
lives?    Yes,  sir. 

Have  you  ever  heard  it  discussed?  His  wife  has  been 
around  to  all  the  saloons  forbidding  them  to  sell  him  anything. 

Why?    Because  he  was  an  habitual  drunkard. 

When  did  you  see  him  last?  I  think  it  was  ',ast  Thanks- 
giving day. 

What  condition  was  he  in  then?    He  was  very  drunk. 

Did  you  ever  see  him  sober?  Well,  no,  sir;  very  seldom. 
I  have  once  or  twice,  probably;  as  a  general  thing  he  was 
under  the  influence  of  liquor. 

John  B  Clark,  examined  in  chief  by  Mr.  Sullivan,  testi- 
fied: 

Q.     State  your  name?    A.    John  B.  Clark. 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE     Q.  77 

Where  do  you  live?    Aurora. 

"What  is  your  business?    I  was  a  locomotive  engineer. 

How  long  were  you  engaged  in  that  capacity?  Ten  years, 
probably. 

For  what  company  were  you  employed?  Chicago,  Bur- 
lington &  Quincy. 

Did  you  serve  on  any  committee  for  that  road  while  you 
"were  in  its  employ?  I  was  on  the  local  examining  board  for 
the  Chicago  division. 

Do  you  know  Hose  De  Witt?    I  do. 

How  long  have  you  known  him?  About  fourteen  years,  I 
think. 

Do  you  know  he  was  discharged  from  this  company 
because  of  his  connection  with  a  wreck  at  Naperville?    I  do. 

Do  you  know  what  his  reputation  for  sobriety  is  and 
has  been  during  all  the  time  of  your  acquaintance?  He  was 
always  a  hard  drinker,  when  he  fired  and  run  here  both. 

Have  you  known  him  since  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the 
company;  have  you  seen  him  since?  I  have  seen  him  on  my 
way  through  Piano;  he  worked  at  Piano  for  the  Piano  Manu- 
facturing Company,  and  I  see  hi'ii  tiure  about  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  a  year  ago;  he  struck  me  for  a  ride  to  Chicago. 

Mr.  Dawes:  I  object  to  any  specific  instance  of  drunken- 
ness a  year  ago. 

Mr.  Sullivan:  Was  he  drunk  or  sober?  A.  He  was  not 
sober. 

Did  you  ever  see  him  sober?  I  don't  think  I  did;  not 
what  I  should  call  dead  sober. 

You  have  known  him  eight  years?  I  have  known  him 
fourteen  years. 

Why  did  you  refuse  to  give  him  a  ride  when  he  applied 
to  you?  Well,  it  was  against  the  rules;  and  then  he  was  too 
full  of  whisky  to  be  a  safe  man  to  have  around  there. 

You  haven't  seen  him  since,  then?  I  have  not,  except 
since  he  came  back  to  work  for  the  C,  B.  &  Q,. 

Acting  as  engineer?    Yes,  sir. 

Passenger  or  freight?    Passenger. 

On  what  road?     On  the  C,  B.  &  Q.,  on  the  main  line? 

Mr.  Dawes,  cross-examining:  Did  you  regard  that  as  a 
proper  method  of  determining  the  qualifications  of  engineers? 
A.  Yes,  sir;  it  is  well  enough. 


78  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

.  Is  this  (handing  witness  a  paper)  an  accurate  copy  of  the 
protest  of  the  Brotherhood?  I  will  direct  your  attention  to 
Article  22.  I  don't  represent  the  Brotherhood;  I  am  here  as  a 
witness. 

I  will  ask  you  whether  you  know  as  a  matter  of  fact,  Mr. 
Clark, whether  Article  22  is  a  copy  of  a  grievance  presented  by 
the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers  to  the  Burlington 
road?    I  did  not  present  it. 

I  understand  you  did  not;  you  know,  do  you  not? 

Mr.  Sullivan:     I  object  to  all  this  as  immaterial. 

Commissioner  Einaker:  I  do  not  regard  that  as  cross- 
examination  at  present.  Is  that  offered  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  that  the  rule  itself  was  not  regarded  as  a  proper  one? 
Mr.  Dawes  :  I  want  to  ask  this  witness  what  his  opinion 
is  of  this  particular  grievance. 

Mr.  Sullivan:  How  often  have  you  seen  him  in  eight 
years?  A.  He  laid  around  Aurora  two  or  three  years  before 
he  got  a  job  any  place. 

He  lived  around  Aurora  two  or  three  years  after  he  was 
discharged?     Yes,  sir. 

When  he  hung  around  Aurora  for  two  or  three  years  did 
you  see  him  regularly?  He  hung  around  a  variety  saloon  that 
used  to  be  there  in  Aurora. 

Commissioner  Einaker:  How  often  do  you  mean  we  shall 
understand  you  are  stating  you  have  seen  this  man  drunk  in 
the  last  eight  or  ten  years? 

Commissioner  Sogers  :  When  was  it  he  wanted  to  come 
up  with  you  on  the  eugine?  A.  As  near  as  I  can  remember 
it  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  a  year  ago. 

Commissioner  Einaker :  How  many  times  have  you  seen 
him  drunk?    A.     He  was  drunk  at  that  time. 

How  many  more  times?  Between  the  seven  years  before 
that?  Well,  I  would  not  want  to  say  how  many  times;  but  at 
the  time  he  was  hanging  around  Aurora  he  was  off  and  on. 
He  would  go  away  and  hunt  for  a  job  and  come  back,  go  away 
and  come  back;  that  is  the  way  he  was. 

Was  he  drunk  when  you  would  see  him  around  this  vari- 
ety show?    Yes,  we  very  seldom  seen  him  sober. 

Mr.  Sullivan:  Prior  to  this  controversy  between  the 
railroad  and  its  employes  could  such  a  man  as  De  Witt  receive 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  79 

employment  as  an  engineer;  would  you  have  employed  such 
a  man? 

(Objected  to  by  Mr.  Dawes.) 

Q.  Would  they  employ  a  man  who  had  been  dismissed 
as  being  responsible  for  a  wreck,  as  this  man  was? 

(Objected  to  by  Mr.  Dawes.) 

Commissioner  Rinaker:  Do  you  know  why  he  was  dis- 
charged? A.  He  was  discharged  for  having  a  collision  about 
half  a  mile  east  of  Naperville  station. 

You  know  that  from  your  own  knowledge?  Yes;  I  was 
mixed  up  a  little  bit  in  it  myself.  I  came  near  getting  into 
trouble  with  it  myself. 

Hector  H.  Hall  being  recalled,  was  examined  by  Com- 
missioner Eogers,  and  testified  as  follows: 

Q.  How  long  is  it  since  this  notice  was  given  by  De 
Witt's  wife  to  the  saloon-keepers  not  to  give  him  liquor?  A. 
I  think  it  was  on  Thanksgiving  day,  or  the  day  after. 

That  is  last  year?    Yes,  sir. 

That  was  on  Thanksgiving  day?  Thanksgiving  day  or 
the  day  after;  I  am  not  positive  which. 

J.  A.  Murray,  locomotive  engineer  of  thirteen  years'  serv- 
ice, residing  at  Kock  Island,  testified  that  Frank  Hamilton, 
Frank  Horn,  Joseph  Koach,  J.  Logston,  Harry  Zimmerman 
and  William  Patterson,  running  engines  on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R. 
R.,  were  brakemen,  conductors  and  baggagemen,  respectively; 
that  he  was  acquainted  with  them  all  for  eight  to  ten  years, 
and  that  they  were  inexperienced  as  engineers  or  firemen. 

Frank  Hamilton,  witness  on  behalf  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q. 
Railroad  Company,  testified: 

Q.     Give  your  name  in  full?    A.     Frank  Hamilton. 

What  is  your  business?  Formerly  conductor  until  the 
10th  of  last  month;  now  I  am  running  an  engine. 

Conductor  on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.?  Yes,  sir;  St.  Louis  divis- 
ion. 

How  long  have  you  been  a  railroad  man?  For  the  C,  B. 
&  Q.  Company,  running  a  train  since  November,  1880,  with  the 
exception  of  five  months,  up  until  the  10th  of  last  month. 

Have  you  been  examined  as  to  the  manipulation  of  an 
engine?    To  a  certain  extent. 

By  whom?    Mr.  Wallace. 

Is  Mr.  Wallace  here?    Mr.  Wallace  is  here. 
6 


80  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

Cross-examination  by  Mr.  Sullivan: 

Q.  You  never  got  any  technical  instruction  as  to  the 
running  of  an  engine  in  your  life,  did  you?  A.  Explain 
that  word,  please. 

You  never  got  any  instruction  in  the  shop  from  those 
who  manufacture  engines  and  are  familiar  with  their  detail? 
No,  sir. 

You  don't  understand  the  meaning  of  the  word  technical 
yourself?    I  do;  yes,  sir. 

"Why  do  )rou  want  me  to  explain  it?  Because  I  wanted 
to  understand. 

Witness  testified  that  he  had  been  handling  engines  off 
and  on  ever  since  he  had  been  on  the  road. 

Q.  What  you  mean  is  you  jumped  on;  would  go  on  when 
the  regular  engineer  in  charge  was  there?    A.    Yes,  sir. 

And  the  fireman  in  charge  was  there?  I  run  the  engine 
a  certain  distance. 

You  were  allowed  to  handle  it  in  their  presence,  just  as 
many  others  are  allowed?    Yes,  sir. 

Do  you  mean  to  tell  this  Commission,  on  your  oath,  that 
in  that  way  you  acquired  sufficient  knowledge  to  make  you  a 
competent  engineer?  That  is  the  way,  from  what  I  understand, 
to  learn  to  be  an  engineer.  The  way  they  all  get  to  be  engi- 
neers. 

You  say  you  were  examined  to  some  extent.  Were  you 
not  examined  as  thoroughly  as  all  other  men  were  examined? 
I  don't  know  how  other  men  were  examined. 

How  did  you  come  to  say  you  were  examined  to  some 
extent?  What  do  you  mean  by  that?  I  mean  to  the  extent 
that  I  was  able  to  answer  the  questions. 

You  were  only  examined  to  that  extent  you  were  able  to 
answer,  and  you  were  not  examined  as  to  those  you  were  not 
able  to  answer?  I  don't  know  if  there  were  any  questions  I 
was  not  to  answer  or  not;  I  answered  all  the  questions. 

You  used  that  expression,  you  were  examined  to  some 
extent.  I  want  to  know  what  you  mean  by  that?  I  answered 
all  the  questions  that  were  asked  me. 

Do  you  mean  to  say  that  all  questions  were  asked  you 
which  are  equally  asked  applicants  for  employment  as  engi- 
neers?   I  do  not. 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON   THE    Q.  81 

Was  anyone  else  examined  at  the  same  time  you  were? 
There  was  not. 

Who  was  present  when  you  were  being  examined?  Any- 
one but  the  Board?    No;  there  was  not. 

No  one  but  the  Board  of  Examiners?    No. 

Where  were  you  examined?  The  principal  place  was  in 
the  building  where  the  general  officers  are. 

Were  you  examined  more  than  once?  I  was  instructed 
another  time. 

I  asked  you  about  examinations?  No,  sir;  not  on  an 
engine. 

How  long  did  your  examination  take?  I  could  not  tell 
that. 

How  many  questions  were  you  asked?  I  could  not  say; 
I  did  not  count  them. 

Have  you  no  idea  without  counting  them?  I  answered 
more  questions — I  asked  and  answered  more  questions  than 
was  asked  me. 

You  examined  yourself,  practically,  did  you?  The  Board 
was  there  to  hear  it. 

The  Board  was  there  to  hear  you  examine  yourself— ask- 
ing questions  and  answering  them?  Those  I  did  not 
thoroughly  understand  were  questions  I  asked,  and  then  I 
answered  my  way,  and  if  I  was  not  right,  then  I  was  instructed. 

And  upon  that  instruction  which  you  got  at  that  time 
you  were  employed  as  an  engineer  on  the  road?  Oh,  no;  this 
is  since. 

How  long  after  that  was  it  before  you  were  put  in  charge 
of  an  engine,  since  you  got  this  instruction?  I  took  an  engine 
on  the  10th  of  last  month,  and  I  run  up  to  yesterday, 

When  was  your  examination?    To-day. 

You  were  examined  to-day?    Yes,  sir. 

Was  this  the  first  examination  that  took  place?  This  is 
the  first. 

You  were  not  examined  before  you  were  put  in  charge 
of  an  engine?    No,  sir. 

You  were  put  in  charge  of  an  engine  without  an  examina- 
tion at  all?     Without  auy  examination. 

You  were  this  morning  examined,  and  prepared  for  be- 
ing examined  here;  is  that  it?  No,  sir;  I  don't  know  as  I  was 
prepared  at  all.     I  asked  questions,  and  they  were  answered 


82  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

to  me.    If  I  could  explain  them  in  the  language  that  was  used 
in  regard  to  the  management  of  engines. 

And  that  is  the  first  time  you  have  been  examined  by 
anybody  representing  this  road  as  an  engineer?  Examined 
on  an  engine. 

Did  you  ever  draw  pay  as  an  engineer  or  as  a  fireman 
at  any  time  in  the  employ  of  this  or  any  other  railroad  com- 
pany in  the  United  States  before  this?  As  an  engineer  or 
fireman? 

As  an  engineer  or  fireman?    I  did  not. 

Did  you  ever  perform  the  duties  of  an  engineer  or  fireman 
at  any  time  in  your  life  before  this  date,  on  any  road?  That 
is,  to  draw  pay  for  it? 

To  draw  pay  for  it,  and  perform  its  duties  regularly? 
No,  sir. 

Did  you  ever  put  a  wick  in  a  headlight?    I  did. 

When?    The  other  day. 

Not  until  that?  That  is  the  first  one,  but  I  have  fre- 
quently saw  it  done. 

How  old  are  you?  I  was  thirty-four  years  old  on  the 
16th  day  of  last  January. 

Can  you  tell  what  the  notches  in  the  quadrant  are  for? 
Yes,  sir. 

Please  do  so?  They  are  to  govern  the  working  of  an 
engine. 

State  in  what  respect  they  govern  the  working  of  an 
engine?  They  start  from  the  center  and  work  both  ways;  the 
forward  and  back  motions  drop  the  engine  down  forward  and 
you  give  her  the  fall  stroke.  If  you  put  her  back  to  a  less 
stroke  and  increase  the  speed. 

What  do  you  mean  by  the  stroke?  The  stroke  of  the 
piston  that  travels  in  the  cylinder. 

What  is  the  stroke  of  your  engine?     I  don't  know. 

Has  an  engine  more  or  less  stroke  when  it  is  hooked 
down  or  hooked  up?  It  has  the  same  stroke,  but  it  receives 
steam  through  the  ports  to  a  less  stroke. 

In  what  condition?  Both  ways;  either  working  in  the 
forward  or  back  motion. 

What  do  yon  refer  to  when  you  speak  of  receiving  more 
steam?    Can  you  explain  that?    To  a  certain  extent,  yes. 

To  that  certain  extent  please  explain  it?     As  the  engine 


.•- 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  83 

is  working  you  drop  her  down  and  give  her  full  stroke  and 
she  is  receiving  steam  at  full  stroke;  as  you  cut  her  back  she 
receives  steam  to  a  less  portion  as  you  cut  her  back,  and  then 
start  to  travel  the  other  way — the  valve  it  is. 

Do  you  know  anything  about  the  points  of  cut-off  of  a 
valve  on  an  engine?    No,  sir. 

You  never  got  any  instruction  on  that  subject?    No,  sir. 

You  were  not  examined  on  it  this  morning,  were  you? 
No,  sir. 

Evidence  of  a  large  number  of  expert  engineers 
and  practical  railroad  men  was  heard,  together  with 
the  testimony  of  the  incompetent  men.  A  copy  of 
the  entire  proceedings  is  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Alex- 
ander Sullivan,  counsel  for  the  Brotherhood. 

INTER-STATE    COMMERCE    COMMISSION. 

The  result  of  the  State  Board's  examination, 
with  a  vast  amount  of  new  evidence,  was  prepared  to 
place  before  the  Inter-State  Commerce  Commission, 
which  had  signified  its  willingness  to  sit  in  Chicago 
May  1,  to  examine  into  the  charges  that  the  Burling- 
ton was  operating  its  lines  with  incompetent  men.  For 
some  reason  never  made  public  the  promised  inves- 
tigation was  not  made.  The  Brotherhood  side  of  the 
case  was  ready,  and  in  the  hands  of  experienced  legal 
counsel;  however,  no  action  was  taken  by  the  Com- 
mission. 

MEETING    OF    THE    STOCKHOLDERS. 

As  the  stockholders  were  to  meet  on  May  16,  it 
was  expected  that  they,  having  suffered  great  finan- 
cial loss  from  the  strike,  would  take  some  steps  toward 
bringing  about  a  settlement  between  the  men  and  the 
company.     It  was  considered  by  the  strikers  that  the 


84  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

road  had  not  been  successfuly  operated  by  the  class  of 
men  then  in  its  employ,  and  that  self-interest  would 
prompt  the  stockholders  to  do  justice  to  their  old  em- 
ployes. 

Contrary  to  the  anticipations  of  the  men,  the 
management  was  unanimously  endorsed  at  this  meet- 
ing and  by  this  action  gave  notice  that  nothing  in  the 
line  of  concessions  could  be  expected. 

FINAL    ACTION  .  OF    THE    MEN. 

Subsequent  to  this  meeting,  the  Joint  Grievance 
Committee  was  convened,  and  it  was  resolved  not  to 
declare  the  strike  off  but  to  continue  resistance  indef- 
initely, this  action  to  be  subject  to  the  approval  of 
the  men.  The  resolution  of  the  Committee  was  duly 
submitted  to  the  men  along  the  line,  and  a  vote  was 
taken  as  to  whether  the  strike  should  be  declared  off 
or  not.  The  result  of  the  vote  was  an  almost  unan- 
imous expression  to  continue  the  strike  without  abate- 
ment. 

After  the  stockholders'  meeting,  the  men  at  Chi- 
cago appointed  a  day  to  discuss  anew  the  proposition 
to  declare  the  strike  off.  This  caused  great  uneasi- 
ness along  the  line,  but  was  only  done  in  order  to 
give  those  who  had  not  been  present  at  the  first  vote 
taken  an  opportunity  to  express  their  sentiments. 
This  discussion,  like  the  preceding  one,  ended  in  an 
unanimous  decision  to  continue  the  strike. 

Every  effort  had  been  made  by  the  company  to  break 
the  lines.  At  Galesburg  and  other  points,  it  was  claimed 
that  large  sums  of  money  had  been  offered  to  individ- 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  85 

uals  to  break  the  ranks  and  again  enter  the  services 
of  the  company.  Outside  of  Chicago,  the  men  were 
subject  to  all  manner  of  persecutions  to  compel  them 
to  yield  to  the  company's  offers,  but  without  effect ; 
not  a  single  case  of  weakness  was  developed  after  the 
second  week  of  the  strike. 

'  In  Chicago,  as  before  stated,  but  two  men  re- 
turned, one  of  these,  a  yardmaster,  had  been  strug- 
gling under  the  name  of  "scab"  since  "'82"  and  he  was 
naturally  expected  to  take  the  course  that  he  did. 
On  the  morning  of  March  23,  he  was  the  first  yard- 
master  to  refuse  to  do  duty  as  a  switchman,  and  the 
first  and  only  one  to  seek  reinstatement.  At  other 
points  along  the  line,  the  record  is  even  better  than 
this.  Probably  not  over  a  dozen  men  weakened ;  from 
Chicago  to  Denver ,  all  have  stood  firm  and  solid  on 
the  ground  they  first  occupied. 

The  following  quotation  from  the  Brotherhood 
circular   heretofore  alluded  to,  will  be  of  interest. 

"  THE  LOYALTY  OF  THE  STRIKERS. 

"Just  here  it  is  proper  to  place  upon  record  the  fact 
— luminous  in  the  annals  of  labor  strikes — of  the  loy- 
alty of  the  men,  their  devotion  to  principle,  and  their 
unexampled  faithfulness  to  their  obligations.  As  one 
man  they  responded  to  the  call.  So  thoroughly  im- 
bued were  they  with  the  justice  of  their  cause,  that  with 
an  unanimity  which  will  forever  challenge  the  admira- 
tion of  manly  nien,they  surrendered  their  positions  and 
faced  with  an  unaltering  fortitude  all  the  privations 
incident  to  a  strike,  rather  than  sacrifice  their  man- 
hood, their  independence  and  self-respect. 


86  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q, 

"Be  it  said  to  the  everlasting  honor  of  the  engi- 
neers, firemen  and  switchmen  on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  sys- 
tem, that  they  acted  their  part  nohly  from  the  first  to 
the  last.  There  was  no  deserters  or  traitors  to  the 
cause  ;  faithful  to  their  obligations,  true  to  their  man- 
hood, honorable  in  all  their  methods,  they  have  digni- 
fied themselves  and  glorified  the  Orders  to  which  they 
belong,  and  while  courage  and  fidelity  have  admirers, 
they  will  be  remembered  for  their  unyielding  purpose 
by  every  true  knight  of  the  throttle  and  scoop  where- 
ever  the  iron  horse  draws  a  train." 

FINANCIAL    CONDITION    OF    THE    ROAD. 

In  June  the  following  statement  appeared  in  the 
Chicago  Herald :  "  The  Burlington  Company  is  hav- 
ing a  hard  time  to  make  both  ends  meet.  Its  statement 
of  net  earnings  for  the  month  of  May,  which  came  to 
light  yesterday,  showed  a  decrease  of  §803,000,  and 
for  the  first  five  months  of  1888  the  loss  compared 
with  the  corresponding  period  last  year  reaches  the 
astounding  total  of  $4,194,172.  Never  in  the  history 
of  Western  railroads  has  such  a  disastrous  record  been 
made  by  a  big  railway  corporation  in  so  short  a  time. 
Less  than  a  year  ago  the  Burlington  Company  was 
reported  to  be  the  strongest  corporation  of  its  kind  in 
the  country.  It  paid  the  highest  rate  of  dividends, 
and  its  securities  commanded  larger  prices  than  any 
similar  paper  on  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange.  Since 
the  beginning  of  1888  its  dividend  rate  has  been  re- 
duced from  eight  to  four  per  cent,  and  even  the  four 
per  cent  has  not  been  earned  by  many  thousand  dol- 


THE  GEEAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q.  87 

lars.  The  interest  requirements,  winch  come  ahead 
of  the  stock,  alone  amount  to,  approximately,  $6,000,- 
000  per  year,  or  at  the  rate  of  $500,000  per  month. 
The  net  earnings  for  five  months,  however,  are  only 
a  little  over  $1,000,000,  or  less  than  half  of  what 
would  be  required  to  pay  current  interest  charges. 
In  face  of  this  showing,  however,  the  company  has, 
since  the  beginning  of  1888,  paid  three  per  cent  in 
dividends  on  $77,000,000  stock.  This  required  an 
expenditure  of  nearly  $2,400,000.  If  this  $2,400,- 
000  be  deducted  from  the  net  earnings  of  the  compan}^ 
for  the  first  five  months  of  the  year  an  actual  deficit 
of  nearly  $1,400,000  is  left,  without  allowing  anything 
whatever  for  interest  on  bonds,  which  are  always  a 
prior  lien.  Deducting  $2,500,000  interest  charges, 
which  somebody  must  pay,  and  the  deficit  is  swelled 
to  nearly  $4,000,000.  To  put  the  matter  plainly,  the 
Burlington  Company  lacks  $4,000,000  of  being  able  to 
pay  its  debts  out  of  its  current  earnings.  It  had  a 
a  surplus  at  the  end  of  last  year  of  $1,000,000,  but 
this  has  been  wiped  out,  and  a  floating  indebtness  of 
approximately  $3,000,000  now  stares  the  Burlington 
management  in  the  face.  It  is  currently  rumored  that 
the  company  has  been  trying  to  negotiate  a  loan  of 
$2,000,000  in  Chicago  to  help  it  out  of  its  present  dif- 
ficulties, but  these  negotiations  have  fallen  through,  and 
it  is  understood  that  an  effort  will  be  made  to  raise  the 
money  in  the  East.  The  depreciation  in  value  of  the 
$77,000,000  stock,  of  at  least  one-third,  is  another 
serious  loss,  which  will  probably  never  be  retrieved." 


88  THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q. 

THE  DYNAMITE  PLOT. 

July  5,  J.  A.  Bowles,  Thos.  Broderick  and  J.  Q. 
Wilson  were  arrested  on  the  train  leaving  Aurora,  at 
2:15  p.  m.,  by  Deputy  Marshal  Burchard  and  Sup- 
erintendent McGinty  of  the  Pinkerton  Agency.  A 
package  of  some  substance,  said  to  be  dynamite,  was 
taken  from  the  rack  over  the  seat  occupied  by  Wilson. 
They  were  arraigned  before  United  States  Commis- 
sioner Ho}'ne,  under  section  5353,  United  States 
Statutes,  which  provides  a  penalty  of  $1,000  to  $10,000 
fine  for  transporting  or  having  in  possession  dynamite 
on  trains  or  vessels  carrying  passengers. 

Chairman  Hoge  was  sent  for,  but  when  he  learned 
the  gravity  of  the  charge  against  the  prisoners  he  had 
little  comfort  to  give  them,  but  promised  to  secure  an 
attorney  if  he  found  on  investigation  that  their  cause 
was  worthy.  All  three  of  the  men  denied  ownership 
of  the  package  found  in  the  rack.  Bowles  came  to 
Aurora  at  the  beginning  of  the  strike,  and  ran  an 
engine  for  thirteen  days.  His  brother  finally  induced 
him  to  leave  the  service  of  the  company,  and  he  was 
taken  into  the  Brotherhood  Division  at  Aurora.  The 
Burlington  officials  testified  that  Broderick  was  in  their 
employ  as  late  as  April  last,  two  months  after  the 
strike  began.  Wilson  was  a  Pinkerton  detective. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  trio  were  Burlington  and 
Pinkerton  employes. 

The  company  claimed  that  dynamite  was  used  at 
Eola,  West  Aurora,  Galesburg  and  Creston,  to  blow 
up  and  wreck  trains,  but  that  no  damage  was  done, 
except  to  a  portion  of  a  flange  on  an  engine  wheel  at 


THE  GREai  »TRIKE  ON  THE  Q.  89 

Eola.  In  some  of  these  cases  a  portion  of  the  dyna- 
mite was  found  unexploded,  together  with  parts  of  the 
wrapper.  If  this  stuff  had  really  been  dynamite,  it  is 
impossible  to  conceive  how  part  of  the  cartridge  could 
have  remained  unexploded. 

J.  A.  Bauereisen,  Chief  of  the  Aurora  Division  of 
B.  of  L.  E.,  was  arrested  July  6  as  an  accomplice,  it 
having  been  claimed  that  Bowles  received  the  package 
from  him  before  starting  for  Chicago  with  Wilson  and 
Broderick. 

Alexander  Smith  was  arrested  July  6.  Smith  is 
a  fireman,  and  was  charged  with  having  handled  the 
dynamite  in  connection  with  the  explosion  at  Eola  and 
West  Aurora. 

Attorneys  Bonohue  and  David  were  retained  for 
the  defense  of  these  men. 

Chairman  Hoge  stated  that  the  Brotherhood  did 
not  tolerate  violence  of  any  kind,  aiid  would  not  come 
to  the  assistance  of  any  member  caught  in  the  act  of 
committing  crime.  The  Brotherhood  would  look  into 
these  cases,  and  if  satisfied  that  the  men  were  victims 
of  a  conspiracy,  it  would  aid  and  defend  them,  but  if 
it  were  shown  that  they  had  explosives  and  meant  vio- 
lence, they  would  be  left  to  shift  for  themselves.  At 
this  time  Mr.  Hoge  was  charged  by  the  Burlington 
people  with  having  issued  a  circular  April  16,  to  the 
various  divisions  of  the  Brotherhood,  advising  that  a 
large  number  of  engineers  go  to  work  for  the  road,  and, 
after  disabling  as  many  engines  as  possible  with  sal- 
soda  and  emory,  to  quit  in  a  body.  Mr.  Hoge  denies 
having  written  this  circular,  or  of  having  signed  it, 


90  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

and  stated  that  it  was  a  forgery,  if  it  existed  at  all. 
However,  Hoge  and  Chairman  Murphy  of  the  firemen 
were  arrested  July  10  for  conspiracy,  and  held  under 
the  Merrittlawin  bonds  of  $1,500,  which  was  furnished 
by  W.  E.  Fitzgerald.  The  complaint  alleged  that  the 
defendants  issued  a  circular  with  the  fraudulent  or  ma- 
licious intent,  wrongfully  and  wickedly  to  injure  the 
property  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  railroad. 
The  penalty  upon  conviction  is  five  years  in  the  pen- 
itentiary or  a  fine  of  $2,000,  or  both.  The  warrant 
also  contained  the  names  of  John  J.  Kelly  and  J.  H. 
McGilvery,  secretaries  to  Hoge  and  Murphy,  who  were 
arrested  later  in  the  day,  but  not  locked  up.  Kelly 
made  a  statement  to  the  effect  that  he  issued  the  cir- 
cular at  the  dictation  of  Hoge,  and  that  the  latter 
signed  it.  It  was  written  with  hektograph  ink  and 
copied  on  a  hektograph.  Kelly  also  swore  that  he 
had  been  in  the  employ  of  Pinkerton  for  several 
months,  during  which  time  he  acted  as  secretary  to 
Hoge.  This  man  belonged  to  the  Brotherhood  of  Fire- 
men, but  was  running  a  switch  engine  on  the  "Q"  in 
in  Chicago,  and  at  the  time  of  the  strike  was  taken 
into  the  Brotherhood  of  Engineers.  He  is  a  tall, 
slender  man  of  twenty- seven  or  twenty- eight  years, 
blonde,  very  natty  in  appearance,  small  brown  mous- 
tache, light  eyes  inclined  to  be  deep  set,  and  a  clear 
ringing  voice,  like  the  voice  of  a  woman.  He  was 
considered  of  a  giddy,  frothy  nature  by  his  intimates, 
who  were  surprised  at  his  ability  to  keep  secret  the 
fact  that  he  was  in  the  employ  of  Pinkerton. 

George    Godding,  an  engineer,  was  arrested  in 


THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q.  01 

Aurora  July  9,  charged  with  Bauereisen  in  violating 
the  United  States  law  in  handling  dynamite. 

George  Clark,  an  engineer,  was  arrested  at  Gales- 
burg  July  17,  charged  with  the  same  offense.  Dur- 
ing the  examination  of  these  men,  Bowles,  Smith, 
Wilson,  Kelly  and  McGilvery  appeared  with  the  pro- 
secution as  detectives  and  informers. 

Bauereisen  was  tried,  and  sentenced  to  two  years 
imprisonment,  at  the  last  term  of  Kane  County  Court, 
at  Geneva,  111.  He  was  convicted  on  the  testimony 
of  the  informers  and  Pinkerton  men,  Bowles,  Broder- 
ick,  Smith  and  Wilson.  The  weight  of  evidence  was 
clearly  in  favor  of  Bauereisen,  but  the  fact  that  it  wras 
a  Kane  County  jury,  and  that  the  Burlington  Com- 
pany was  the  prosecutor,  settled  the  case  against  him. 
An  appeal  for  a  new  trial  is  now  pending. 

None  of  the  other  cases  have  matured,  and  prob- 
ably never  will. 

The  general  opinion  of  the  strikers,  and  those 
who  have  been  particularly  interested  in  these  cases, 
can  be  summed  up  in  a  few  words.  Knowing  that  the 
strike  had  financially  wrecked  the  property,  the  man- 
agment  found  it  necessary  to  make  capital  for  them- 
selves, and  concluded  that  a  dynamite  scheme  would 
answer  their  purpose. 

They  believed  that  the  Brotherhoods  were  a  law 
abiding  class  of  citizens,  and  that  they  would  be  dura- 
founded  at  the  evidence  of  a  dynamite  plot,  and  im- 
mediately declare  the  strike  otf .  That  it  was  originally 
intended  as  a  bluff  is  proven  by  the  low  grade  of 
dynamite  used,  which  had  scarcely  the  explosive  power 


92  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

of  black  powder.  The  evidence  shows  that  the  "Q" 
employes  and  the  detectives  procured  and  used  the 
stuff  without  effect.  The  only  evidence  against  the 
Brotherhood  men  was  that  they  had  been  told  by 
these  spies  what  they  were  doing ;  and  while  the  de- 
fendants placed  no  reliance  in  the  story,  this  knowl- 
edge was  considered  sufficient  evidence  of  guilt  to 
hold  them  as  accomplices.  This  course  was  probably 
decided  upon  when  it  was  found  impossible  to  make 
them  active  participants   in  the  crime. 

In  the  case  of  Hoge  and  Murphy,  the  web  was 
easier  to  weave.  Having  a  Pinkerton  man  as  Hoge's 
secretary,  it  was  a  simple  matter  to  put  up  a  fraudu- 
lent circular,  and  back  it  up  with  the  utterances  of 
other  confederates  who  visited  him,  and  sought  to  in- 
duce him  to  resort  to  violence  as  a  means  of  compel- 
ing  a  settlement  of  the  strike. 

PROPOSITIONS  FOR  A  SETTLEMENT. 

J-.ily  14,  Mr.  Stone  sent  for  Chairmen  Hoge 
and  Murphy  to  talk  over  a  settlement  of  the  strike. 
Being  under  bonds,  Hoge  and  Murphy  declined  to  go 
without  then*  attorney ;  therefore,  Mr.  iUexander  Sulli- 
van was  included  in  the  invitation.  They  met  Mr.  Stone 
at  his  residence  the  same  evening,  but  having  no  author- 
ity to  make  a  settlement,  only  a  general  conversation 
ensued.  Mr.  Stone  indicated  a  willingness  to  take  up 
the  schedule  and  pay  as  good  wages  as  was  paid  by 
the  other  roads,  especially  so  in  the  passenger  runs. 
Another  meeting  was  arranged  for  July  16,  at  which 
meeting  Messrs.  Arthur,  Sargent,  Sullivan,  Hoge  and 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    OX    THE    Q.  93 

Murphy,  on  behalf  of  the  men,  and  Messrs.  Stone, 
Perkins  and  Dexter,  for  the  company,  were  present. 
Mr.  Perkins  had  arrived  unexpectedly  from  Boston, 
and  seemed  dissatisfied  with  the  action  of  Mr.  Stone 
in  calling  the  meeting,  and  for  a  time  refused  to  make 
any  concessions.  Mr.  Stone  insisted,  and  the  follow- 
ingwas  drawn  up  as  a  basis  of  settlement  by  the  com- 
pany : 

"If  the  strike  be  declared  off,  the  company  agrees 
to  take  back  such  of  the  old  men  as  can  at  present  be 
given  employment,  and  as  business  increases  and 
more  men  are  needed,  thev  will  be  taken  from  the  ranks 
of  the  strikers  in  preference  to  hiring  men  who  had 
not  previously  been  in  the  employ  of  the  company. 

"  The  company  further  agree  that  those  men  not  so 
taken  back  would  not  be  blacklisted,  and  that  those 
whose  previous  record  had  been  good  would  be  given 
letters  of  recommendation.  Mr.  Perkins  also  agreed  to 
rescind  the  order  of  J.  D.  Besler,  dated  March  25, 
to  the  effect  that  the  switchmen  would  not  again  be 
employed  by  the  Burlington  company. 

"  That  engineers,  firemen  and  switchmen  would 
be  treated  alike  in  the  matter  of  re-employment." 

This  was  in  substance  all  that  the  company 
would  concede.  As  these  gentlemen  had  no  author- 
ity to  make  any  settlement  without  the  consent  of  the 
men,  it  was  decided  to  submit  the  proposition  to  them 
along  the  entire  system,  and  Messrs.  Hoge,  Murphy 
and  the  writer  were  appointed  to  lay  the  matter  before 
them.  Mr.  Arthur  was  opposed  to  the  switchmen  being 
represented  on  this  committee. 


94  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    OX    THE    Q. 

Before  going  out  on  the  road,  a  meeting  of  the 
Chicago  strikers  was  held  at  Curran's  Hall.  In  order 
to  get  the  matter  properly  before  them,  the  following 
resolution  was  put  by  the  chairman,  "Resolved,  That 
the  striking  engineers,  firemen  and  switchmen  do 
hereby  appoint  the  following  Committee  to  settle  the 
strike :  Arthur,  Sargent,  Alexander  Sullivan,  Hoge, 
Murphy  and  Hall,  with  the  understanding  that  we  will 
abide  by  their  decision  and  will  accept  the  above 
proposition  of  the  company,  if  no  better  terms  can  be 
obtained  by  the  Committee."  Arthur,  Sargent  and 
Mr.  Sullivan  strongly  recommended  the  acceptance  of 
the  terms,  and  sent  letters  to  that  effect  by  the  Com- 
mittee to  the  men  along  the  line. 

The  resolution  was  rejected  by  the  Chicago  men, 
and,  in  fact,  by  every  body  of  strikers  along  the  entire 
system.  In  these  terms  of  settlement  nothing  was 
said  about  dismissing  the  dynamite  cases,  it  being 
understood  that  they  would  be  continued. 

July  17  the  Committee  left  Chicago  to  place  the 
proposition  before  the  men,  and  returned  July  27. 
The  strikers  everywhere  decided  to  accept  no  terms 
that  did  not  include  the  signing  of  their  schedule  and 
the  absolute  discharge  of  all  the  new  men.  They  con- 
sidered that  the  company  had  asked  them  to  make  an 
unconditional  surrender,  and  that  the  conspiracy 
cases  had  influenced  their  leaders  to  side  with  the 
company,  and  they  would  not  now  make  any  settle- 
ment that  was  not  made  by  the  entire  Grievance 
Committee  and  include  the  whole  schedule  and  dis- 
charge of  the  new  men.     Hoge  and  Murphy  knew  the 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    OX    THE    Q.  95 

temper  of  the  men  and  knew  what  the  result  would  be, 
but  felt  it  their  duty  to  present  the  propositions  as 
instructed  by  their  chiefs,  Arthur  and  Sargent,  and 
to  give  the  men  a  complete  statement  of  the  condition 
of  the  strike,  prospects  of  support,  etc.  It  was  a  dis- 
agreeable duty,  but  they  performed  it  faithfully.  Many 
of  the  men  were  inclined  to  censure  the  Committee 
for  presuming  to  offer  them  such  terms. 

UNION  MEETING  AT  ST.  JOE,  JULY  24,   1888. 

The  following  is  the  official  report : 

The  Chairman  stated  the  purpose  of  the  meeting  was  to 
discuss  the  merits  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  strike  and  to  try  and 
adopt  some  plan  to  bring  it  to  a  speedy  termination.  He  also 
explained  and  outlined  the  situation  of  affairs  on  the  C,  B.  &, 
Q.  K.  E. 

The  Chairman  then  introduced  Bro.  G.  W.  Hitchens, 
Chairman  of  the  G.  G.  Com.,  K.  C,  Ft.  S.  &  G.  E.  E.,  who 
made  a  good  speech,  encouraging  the  C,  B.  &,  Q.Bros,  and 
saying  that  he  was  in  favor  of  the  Boycott  and  Federation. 

Bro.  E.  Powers,  a  member  of  the  B.  of  E.  B.,  was  then 
introduced,  and  spoke  encouragingly  to  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  Bros., 
telling  them  to  stand  firm  and  they  were  sure  to  win. 

Bro.  F.  P.  Sargent,  G.  M.  of  the  B.  of  L.  F.,  was  the 
next  speaker.  He  was  in  favor  of  Federation, but  did  not  speak 
very  encouragingly  to  the  C,  B.  &,  Q.  Bros,  in  their  struggle 
for  Eight  and  Justice. 

Bro.  Bailey,  of  the  S.  M.  A.  A.,  made  an  able  address, 
which  was  enthusiastically  received. 

Bro.  L.  W.  Eodgers,  of  the  B.  of  E.  B.,  and  a  man  who 
has  traveled  over  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  E.  E.  several  times,  spoke 
and  outlined  the  condition  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.,  and  urged  the 
the  Bros,  to  stand  firm  and  they  were  sure  of  victory. 

Speeches  were  made  by  Bro.  Woi.  McClain,  of  Quincy4 
and  a  member  of  the  G.  G.  Com.  of  the  C,  B.  &,  Q.;  Bro.  Slat- 
tery,  of  Butte  City,  M.  T.;  J.  F.  Bryan,  of  Creston,  Iowa;  and 
a  great  many  other  Bros,  of  the  different  organizations,  who 
nearly  all  spoke  in  favor  of  Federation  and  said  they  would 


96  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

do  all  in  their  power  to  assist  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  Bros,  who  are 
now  battling  for  justice.  And  they  all  told  the  Bros,  to  never 
declare  the  strike  off  but  to  fight  it  to  the  bitter  end. 

On  motion,  a  committee  of  nine  was  appointed  to  draw 
up  resolutions  and  adopt  a  line  of  action  for  this  meeting. 

The  Chairman  appointed  the  following  Committee  on 
Resolutions:  W.  H.  Young,  of  Div.  307;  W.  F.  Gould,  Div.  181; 
R.  Lacy,  105,  B.  of  L.  F.;  T.  J.  Hayes,  44,  B.  of  L.  F.;  L.  W. 
Rodgers,  B.  of  B.  B.;  T.  Slattery,  151,  B.  of  R.  B.;  F.  Wells, 
Grand  Lodge.  S.  M.  A.  A.;  and  T.  C.  Lyons,  No.  9,  S.  M.  A.  A. 

On  motion  adjourned  until  9  o'clock,  a.  m.,  July  25, 1888. 

Second  Day. 

Meeting  called  to  order  by  F.  P.  McDonald  in  the  chair. 

On  motion  resolutions  were  ordered  read,  and  each 
article  taken  up  and  adopted  or  rejected  at  one  time. 

The  following  resolutions  were  read  and  unanimously 
adopted,  the  last  article  being  debated  freely: 
Tcthe  Engineers,  Firemen,  Switchmen  and  Brakemen,  in  Union 
Meeting  assembled  : 

We,  jour  Committee  on  Resolutions,  beg  leave  to  report 
the  following: 

Resolved,  That  in  regard  to  the  alleged  dynamite  plot, 
we  denounce  all  unlawful  acts;  and  that  while  we  believe  the 
accused  innocent  until  proven  guilty,  yet  should  any  member 
of  our  organization  be  proved  guilty  of  the  atrocities  charged, 
we  will  not  only  promptly  expel  them,  but  be  the  first  to  de- 
mand their  punishment. 

Resolved,  That  we  regard  this  as  a  conspiracy  by  the 
C,  B.  &  Q.  Co.  and  the  Pinkertons,  to  bring  our  Order  into  dis- 
repute, and  turn  public  opinion  and  sympathy  against  us;  and 
we  ask  the  public  to  withhold  their  decision  until  the  case  has 
been  passed  upon  by  a  fair  and  impartial  jury. 

Resolved,  That  we  thank  the  managers  of  this  meeting 
for  their  vigilance  in  discovering  the  company's  spy  who  had 
been  secreted  in  the  opera  house  to  report  our  proceedings, 
and  that  we  denounce  such  dishonorable  methods  of  obtain- 
ing information. 

Resolved,  That  we,  the  engineers,  firemen,  switchmen 
and  brakemen  represented  in  this  meeting,  heartily  endorse 
the  plan  of  federation,  and  ask  our  coming  conventions  to 
authorize  immediate  action  on  this  subject. 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  97 

Resolved,  That  this  meetiug  ask  Bros.  Hoge  and  Murphy, 
or  the  G.  G.  Com.  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.,  to  place  on  the  payroll 
the  names  of  the  trainmen  who  struck  April  1,  1888,  and  that 
they  receive  $40  per  month  for  the  time  they  have  been  out. 

Resolved,  That  each  and  every  delegate  at  this  union 
meeting  be  instructed  to  use  every  endeavor  to  have  his  sub- 
ordinate Division  or  Lodge,  take  such  action  as  will  guarantee 
financial  support  to  our  brothers  now  struggling  for  their 
legitimate  rights,  until  such  time  as  the  several  conventions 
shall  convene,  and  shall  incorporate  in  their  constitutions 
sucm  laws  as  shall  thoroughly  unite  the  several  organizations. 

Resolved,  That  we  return  to  our  respective  Divisions 
and  Lodges  and  notify  our  constituents  to  prepare  to  place  a 
boycott  on  C,  B.  &  Q.  cars  as  soon  as  the  Chairmen  of  the 
several  Grievance  Committees  think  it  practicable,  and  we 
earnestly  ask  the  Chairmen  to  institute  this  boycott  as  soon 
as  in  their  judgment  it  can  be  worked  with  advantage  to  our 
cause. 

Resolved,  That  this  meeting  heartly  endorse  the  action 
taken  by  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  Brothers,  in  refusing  to  declare  the 
strike  off. 

All  business  pertaining  to  the  purpose  of  the  meeting 
being  accomplished,  the  meeting  adjourned  at  5:15  p.  m.,  July 
25. 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  engineers  at  St.  Joe, 
a  plan  was  formed  to  call  together  the  Chairmen  of 
all  the  Grievance  Committees  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada  authorized  by  the  chiefs  of  the  Brotherhoods 
to  meet  in  St.  Louis  August  9,  1888. 

The  previous  meeting  at  Kansas  City,  New  York 
and  St  Joe  were  the  results  of  local  arrangements, 
and  unauthorized  by  the  chiefs  of  the  Brotherhoods, 
and  their  actions  were  without  proper  authority,  al- 
though giving  expression  to  the  general  feelings  of  the 
men.  A  Committee  was  appointed  to  visit  Chiefs 
Arthur  and  Sargent  and  request  them  to  make  an  of- 
ficial call  of  all  the  Chairmen  of  Grievance  Commit- 


98  THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q. 

tees.     This  was  done,  and  the  meeting  convened  in 
St.  Louis  August  9. 

SECRET    MEETING    AT    ST.    LOOS. 

Chiefs  Arthur  and  Sargent  were  present.  The 
entire  Grievance  Committee  of  the  Burlington  and 
the  Chairmen  of  all  the  other  Committees  composed 
the  assemblv.  All  work  was  done  in  secret  session. 
Nothing  whatever  was  given  to  the  public.  The  strike 
was  the  only  question  dealt  with  at  this  meeting. 
Many  of  the  men  favored  an  immediate  boycott  of 
"Q"  cars  and  "  Q  "  freight.  After  two  days  of  dis- 
cussion, it  was  agreed  that  the  time  and  conditions 
were  not  such  as  to  warrant  a  boycott ;  it  was  believed 
that  the  road  had  no  business  of  consequence  to  be 
injured.  This  matter  was  then  laid  aside  to  be  taken 
up  in  October.  Another  Committee  was  appointed  to 
confer  with  the  "  Q  "  officials.  This  Committee  was 
composed  of  Chairmen  of  roads  not  on  strike. 

The  meeting  adjourned  Saturday,  August  11.  On 
Monday,  August  13,  Alexander  Sullivan,  Chairman 
Vrooman  of  the  Union  Pacific  and  his  committee  had 
an  interview  with  Vice  President  Peasley  and  General 
Superintendent  Besler. 

The  meeting  was  an  informal  one.  The  proposi- 
tion presented  by  the  Committee  was  a  demand  that 
all  the  men  be  taken  back  in  a  bodv ;  that  the  former 
proposition  of  Mr.  Stone,  to  pay  as  good  wages  as  his 
neighbors,  be  accepted  by  the  Brotherhood.  Mr. 
Peasley  stated  that  he  had  no  power  to  act  in  the  ab- 
sence of  Manager  Stone  and  President  Perkins,  but 
that  he  would  submit  the  proposition  to  the.-e  officials 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

on  their  return  from  the  East.  He  also  said  that  the 
company  desired  peace  with  the  Brotherhoods. 

No  action  was  taken  by  Messrs.  Stone  and  Perkins ; 
the  only  result  of  the  meeting  was  to  strengthen  them 
in  their  determination  to  fight  the  Brotherhoods  to  the 
end. 

All  efforts  to  produce  a  boycott  had  failed.  The 
only  result  of  the  union  meetings  held  at  various  points 
was  to  convince  the  strikers  that  the  boycott  was  not 
necessary,  in  fact  that  they  had  already  won  the  strike. 
They  continued  their  meetings,  and  were  just  as  much 
out  of  the  way  of  the  company  as  though  they  had  been 
locked  up  for  months.  In  the  meantime,  and  in  fact 
from  the  beginning  of  the  strike,  the  company  had  been 
moving  heaven  and  earth  in  their  efforts  to  bring  vic- 
tory out  of  what  seemed  hopeless  defeat.  Starting  with 
an  inferior  grade  of  men,they  have  been  constantly  weed- 
ing out  the  poorer  ones  as  fast  as  a  more  competent  man 
appeared  who  was  willing  to  work  for  them.  A  very 
great  number  of  those  originally  hired  have  disappeared 
and  better  men  have  taken  their  places.  Many  com- 
petent men,  who  had  been  driven  out  of  the  Brother- 
hoods for  dissolute  habits,  or  from  prejudice,  and  who 
had  at  first  stood  aloof  fi'om  the  trouble,  had  now 
come  forward  and  entered  the  service. 

Beginning  on  the  27th  of  February  with  their 
business  almost  wholly  destroyed,  they  have  used  every 
means  in  their  power,  and  have  left  no  stone  unturned 
that  promised  to  increase  their  traffic.  In  this  they 
have  not  been  unsuccessful,  and  their  business  is  today 
probably  as  good  as  any  other  Western  road.     In  then- 


100         THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q. 

relation  to  the  strikers,  they  have  outwitted  them  at 
every  point,  and  have  used  with  fatal  effect  every 
weapon  that  came  to  their  hand.  The  truth  is  that 
the  old  employes  never  had  a  leader,  from  the  27th  of 
February  until  the  present  day ;  they  have  been  under 
the  orders  and  at  the  beck  and  call  of  this  committee 
and  that  committee,  and  have  trusted  to  this  chair- 
man and  that  chief  until  they  were  bewildered,  and 
finally  lost.  The  "  Ides  of  March"  was  as  fatal  to  them 
as  to  Caesar.  When  the  first  boycott  was  lifted,  their 
defeat  was  absolute  and  certain;  as  an  evidence  of  that 
the  action  of  the  self -constituted  Advisory  Board,  in 
sending  road  engineers  into  the  yards  in  Chicago  to 
take  the  switch  engines  given  up  by  their  brothers  at 
the  second  boycott,  the  last  of  March,  should  have 
been  deemed  ample  and  sufficient. 

Any  strike,  by  any  body  of  men,  conducted  as 
this  one  was,  would  have  the  same  ignominious  end- 
ing. When  a  class  of  men  are  forced  into  a  strike, 
and  their  places  are  filled  by  men  who  are  allowed  to 
retain  them ;  when  the  business  interests,  interrupted 
by  the  strike,  are  permitted  to  be  resumed,  does  not 
such  a  condition  plainly  indicate  failure?  There 
should  be  no  more  great  railroad  strikes  until  men, 
other  than  those  immediately  interested,  are  ready 
and  willing  to  win  them. 

AT    THE    CONVENTIONS. 

At  the  Firemen's  Convention,  the  promised  plan 
of  federation  was  put  forward.  Before  the  firemen 
jadourned,  the    switchmen  had   met   in    Convention. 


THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q.         101 

They  received  and  endorsed  the  plan  outlined  by  the 
firemen,  and  appointed  a  committee  of  the  Grand  Of- 
ficers to  act  with  the  engineers  and  firemen  in  putting 
it  into  execution.  Contrary  to  the  expectations  of 
the  firemen  and  switchmen,  the  engineers  at  their  Con- 
vention failed  to  ratify  the  move  toward  federation, 
and  had  nothing  ready  to  offer  in  its  stead.  They  did, 
however,  pass  a  resolution  favoring  "  some  means  of 
bringing  the  organizations  closer  together."  This  ac- 
tion of  the  engineers  was  generally  understood  as  a 
desire  upon  their  part  to  drop  the  federation  scheme 
entirely,  and  much  ill  feeling  has  in  consequence  re- 
sulted. The  striking  switchmen  naturally  felt  that 
the  sacrifice  made  by  them  had  failed  to  bear  fruit, 
and  that  the  Brotherhood  had  not  redeemed  their 
pledges — nay,  more,  that  they  had  fallen  back  into 
their  old  position  of  "refraining  from  all  entangling 
alliances  '    and  ignoring  the  other  organizations. 

Affairs  remained  in  this  unsatisfactory  condition 
until  the  latter  part  of  November.  In  the  meantime, 
many  of  the  strikers,  engineers,  firemen  and  switch- 
men sought  and  obtained  work  on  other  roads,  the 
Chicago,  Santa  Fe  &  California  gaining  the  most  of 
them. 

ANOTHER    COMMITTEE. 

At  the  Engineers'  Convention,  a  committee  of 
nine  had  been  appointed,  with  A.  E.  Cavener  as  chair- 
man, to  handle  the  remains  of  the  "Q  "  strike.  Hoge 
was  retired,  or  rather  had  resigned,  and  the  payments 
to  the  men  were  now  made  through  the  local  divisions 
of  the  Brotherhood.     Up  to   November  25,  nothing 


102         THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q. 

had  been  heard  of  the  committee  of  nine,  and  it  was 
not  known  that  they  were  making  any  efforts  to  assist 
the  strikers.  It  was  understood  that  this  committee 
had  been  given  all  the  power  in  the  Brotherhood,  even 
to  the  boycott,  if  necessary  to  win  the  strike. 

CUTTING  OFF  THE  SWITCHMEN. 

November  25,  letters  were  received  by  the  chair- 
man of  each  local  body  of  strikers,  from  Cleveland, 
signed  by  P.  M.  Arthur  and  the  Finance  Committee 
of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers. 

These  letters  were  to  the  effect,  that  after  the 
October  payment  had  been  made,  the  switchmen  were 
to  be  stricken  from  the  payrolls ;  that  the  late  Con- 
vention had  made  no  provision  for  the  further  pay- 
ment of  these  men. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  prior  to  the  switch- 
men engaging  in  this  strike,  an  agreement  had  been 
made  with  them  that  as  long  as  the  strike  lasted  they 
were  to  be  paid  the  same  wages  that  were  paid  to  the 
engineers.  A  written  contract  was  entered  into,  a 
copy  of  which  is  now  in  possession  of  James  L.  Mono- 
ghan.  During  the  different  phases  of  the  strike  this 
agreement  was  frequently  mentioned  by  prominent 
members  of  the  Brotherhoods,  and  acknowledged  by 
the  Chiefs. 

At  the  same  time  the  switchmen  were  cut  off 
from  assistance,  the  pay  of  the  engineers  was  raised 
from  $40  to  $50  per  month.  This  increase  of  $10 
would  have  been  ample  to  pay  the  switchmen. 

Protests  were  sent  to  Cleveland  from  all  over  the 


THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q.         103 

"  Q  "  system.  The  following  is  the  text  in  full  of  the 
Chicago  letter,  together  with  the  signatures  of  engi- 
neers, firemen  and  switchmen : 

Chicago,  III.,  Nov.  24, 1888. 
Headquarters  C,  B.  &  Q,  Stkikers. — Curran's  Hall. 
To  Messrs.  P.  M.  Arthur,  T.  S.  In  graham,  H.  C.  Hayes: 

Dear  Sirs  :  In  receipt  of  yours  of  the  22d,  we  must  say 
that  a  more  sad  turn  or  blow  has  not  struck  this  body  since 
the  beginning  of  the  strike  as  the  decision  of  that  letter. 
Have  we  solicited  the  friendly  hand  of  our  fellow  switchmen 
the  past  eight  months,  have  we  sustained  brotherly  feeling 
and  fought  the  common  enemy  all  summer  hand  in  hand, 
only  to  throw  our  participants  broadcast  over  the  land  after 
proving  themselves  loyal  to  us  and  men  of  their  word?  Do 
we  have  to  bring  disgrace  upon  ourselves,  by  being  connected 
with  such  unmanly  actions,  and  involve  thereby  bitter  an- 
tagonistic feelings  in  the  future?  We  engineers  went  out 
with  grievances,  where  the  switchmen  had  none,  but  sym- 
pathy only;  would  it  not  be  more  justice  to  cut  us  off  and 
pay  these  men  for  their  manly  actions? 

After  the  return  of  the  regular  delegates  from  the  Con- 
vention, information  was  communicated  to  us  of  their  firm 
understanding  that  the  treatment  of  the  engineers  and  switch- 
men would  be  the  same  in  the  future  as  in  the  past. 

In  regard  to  dividing  our  $4Qper  month  with  the  switch- 
men in  the  future,  we  can  only  refer  to  figures;  about  thirty 
to  thirty-one  engineers  against  sixty-five  switchmen  [in  Chi- 
cago— Author]  ,  both  parties  in  debt  more  or  less  for  the  nec- 
essaries of  life  for  the  eight  months,  winter  at  hand,  and  our 
men  badly  in  need.  Some  provision  must  be  made!  How  in 
the  name  of  God  can  we  share  with  others,  having  scarcely 
enough  for  ourselves? 

The  future  prosperity  of  our  Order  undoubtedly  depends 
upon  the  just  action  taken  in  this  C,  B.  &  Q.  struggle.  How 
can  we  expect  to  gain  and  retain  the  kindly  feeling  of  mem- 
bers of  other  organizations  relative  to  us  in  railway  service 
by  practicing  acts  of  injustice  and  partiality  in  our  own  midst? 
Look  at  the  switchmen  at  this  point.  When  employed,  their 
salary  ranges  from  $75  to  $90  per  month.  They  have  stepped 


104         THE  GREAT  STRIKE  OX  THE  Q. 

down  for  principle's  sake,  and  not  for  the  $40  per  month,  barely 
sufficient  at  this  point  to  keep  soul  and  body  together.  Now, 
at  this  great  Convention  it  has  been  overlooked  to  provide  for 
these  men  who  fought  the  battle  according  to  instructions. 

Only  a  portion  of  the  men  being  thought  of,  and  the 
balance  of  them — those  who  sacrificed  all  for  principle  and 
friendship — have  been  thrown  out  into  the  world  without  any 
previous  notice  whatever.  Here  we  are  today  to  fight  our  own 
battle.  Kather  than  being  sacrificed  and  deserted  in  this  style, 
we  will  accept  previous  favorable  offers  at  Chicago,  saving  at 
least  this  point,  although  at  the  sad  experience  of  broken  prom- 
ises. 

Indeed,  sad  it  is  for  men  to  fight  honorably,  and  with 
whole  soul,  only  to  find  out,  after  losing  all,  that  they  are  cut 
off  from  ammunition!  Now  then,  left  without  ammunition, 
what  is  left  for  the  soldier  to  do — surrender  or  be  cut  down? 

Our  course  in  this  depends  on  speedy  action,  and  we  there- 
fore demand  immediate  answer  from  your  Grand  Lodge,  stating 
decidedly  the  future  treatment.  Shall  it  continue  as  before, 
or  shall  it  be  cut  off?  As  our  men  are  radical,  we  ask  you  to 
answer  by  telegraph,  up  to  2  p.  m..  Monday,  November  26, 
"Yes"  or  "No."  If  no  answer  is  received  up  to  this  time  it  will 
be  considered  by  this  body  a  negative  answer,  and  copies  of 
this  will  be  sent  to  all  subordinate  divisions  and  lodges  of  the 
Big  Four  organizations.  Yours  fraternally, 

[Signed]        T.  J.  Tterney,  M.  Shields, 

M.  T.  Mahoney,  John  A.  Hienish, 

J.  Kyan,  David  Bain, 

Engineers.  Switchmen. 

The  answer  came  by  mail,  and  reads  as  follows : 

Office  of  the  Grand  Division 

Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers, 

Cleveland,  Nov.  26,  1888. 
M.  T.  Mahoney: 

Dear  Sir  and  Brother:  Yours  of  the  24th  at  hand,  and 
in  reply  thereto  we  sent  a  check  Saturday,  to  jjay  the  engi- 
neers and  switchmen  alike  for  October.  After  that  time  we 
can  pay  nothing  for  the  switchmen.  You  seem  to  think  that 
the  power  is  vested  in  the  Grand  Officers  to  levy  assessments 
for  the  support  of  the  switchmen;  but  such  is  not  the  case. 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  105 

We  can  only  act  as  directed  by  the  Convention.  The  Conven- 
tion directed  that  an  assessment  be  levied  for  the  support  of 
the  engineers  at  $50  per  month,  and  that  is  as  far  as  we    can 

act. 

Yours  fraternally, 

[Signed]  T.  S.  Ingkaham,  F.  G.  A.  E. 

Previous  to  these  letters,  the  Chairman  of  the 
switchmen  had  written  to  Cleveland  to  make  inquiry 
about  the  October  pay.      The  answer  to  his  letter  is 

also  herewith  given : 

Cleveland,  O.,  Nov.,  22,  1888. 
•/.  A.  Hienish,  Esq.: 

In  reply  to  yours  of  18th,  I  can  only  say  that,  although 
the  Grand  Chief  was  particular  to  call  attention  to  the  fact 
that  no  provision  was  made  for  October  payroll,  no  steps  were 
taken  to  supply  that  want,  and  all  that  we  can  do  is  to  for- 
ward the  amounts  as  fast  as  money  comes  in  on  donations, 
which  is  very  slow,  and  with  October  payroll  all  payments 
to  switchmen  and  brakemen  will  cease,  as  the  further  assess- 
ment was  levied  to  pay  engineers  only.  We  have,  however, 
advised  the  engineers  to  share  what  they  receive  with  the 
switchmen. 

Whether  or  not  they  will  do  it,  they  can  answer.  We 
shall  send  a  draft  today  to  pay  the  men  at  Chicago,  both  en- 
gineers and  switchmen  for  October,  and  to  other  points  as 
fast  as  we  can  get  the  money,  which  is  the  best  we  can  do. 

Yours  truly, 

[Signed]  T.  S.  Ingkaham,  F.  G.  A.  E. 

Letters  were  sent  by  the  strikers  to  all  the  Broth- 
erhood Divisions  throughout  the  western  country,  noti- 
fying them  of  the  arbitrary  action  of  the  officers  and 
telling  them  the  condition  of  the  men. 

No  word  had  been  received  from  Chairman  Cave- 
ner  or  his  committee  of  nine  until  after  the  9th  of 
December,  when  the  switchmen  of  Chicago  declared 
the  strike  off,  as  far  as  concerned  themselves.     This 


106         THE  GEE  AT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q. 

action  was  taken  with  the  consent  and  advice  of  the 
Grand  Master  of  the  Association,  and  letters  were  sent 
to  the  switchmen  along  the  line  of  road,  advising  them 
to  take  the  same  action  and  make  any  terms  that  they 
were  able  to  make  with  the  company. 

The  striking  engineers  and  firemen  at  Chicago 
also  advised  this  course  and  even  offered  to  unite  with 
the  switchmen  in  following  it  out. 

The  switchmen  along  the  line,  acting  on  the  ad- 
vice of  the  Brotherhood  men,  refused  to  recognize  the 
strike  as  off,  and  remained  with  the  engineers,  but 
without  aid  from  the  Brotherhood,  as  seen  from  the 
letters  herewith  given. 

December  11,  Mr.  Cavener  arrived  in  Chicago, 
and  on  the  28th  of  December  representatives  of  the 
Brotherhood  from  west  of  the  Missouri  river  assembled 
in  Chicago  to  the  number  of  two  hundred.  They  were 
called  together  by  Mr.  Cavener  to  take  final  action  on 
the  strike. 

From  the  28th  day  of  December  to  the  4th  day  of 
January,  the  daily  papers  were  full  of  sensational 
rumors  of  boycotts,  but  no  such  action  was  contem- 
plated by  the  Brotherhoods. 

Below  is  given  the  full  report  of  the  settlement, 
issued  from  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  Switchmen's 
Mutual  Aid  Association. 

OFFICE     OF    THE     GRAND     LODGE.    SWITCHMEN'S    MUTUAL  AID 
ASSOCIATION    OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

Chicago,  III.,  Jan.  10,  1889. 
To  All  Subordinate  Lodges: 

Sirs  and  Brothers:    At  the    late  Convention   of  the 

Brotherhood  of    Locomotive  Engineers,  held  at  Pdchniond, 

Va  ,  a  Committee  of  nine  was  appointed  to  examine  into  the 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  107 

condition  of  the  strike  on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  Railroad,  and  devise 
ways  and  means  whereby  it  might  be  brought  to  a  close.  The 
Committee  was  composed  of  the  following  named  gentlemen: 
A.  R.  Cavener,  A.  YV.  Perley,  T.  Hollinrake,  Thos.  Humphreys, 
A.  Le  May,  A.  W.  Logan,  Edward  Kent,  Wm.  C.  Hayes  and  T. 
P.  Bellows.  After  the  Committee  had  made  a  thorough  in- 
vestigation, they  requested  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive 
Firemen  to  appoint  a  Committee  to  act  in  conjunction  with 
with  them,  and  Grand  Master  Sargent  appointed  L.  Mooney 
and  S.  W.  Dixon  as  such  Committee.  This  Joint  Com- 
mittee, in  their  report  to  the  two  Brotherhoods,  say:  An 
interview  with  the  officials  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  company  was 
solicited  and  granted.  Other  interviews  followed,  in  which 
the  strike,  in  all  its  details  was  discussed,  with  a  thorough  ap- 
preciation of  the  gravity  and  importance  of  the  situation. 
The  Committee  sought  by  all  the  means  at  its  command  to 
secure  a  settlement  that  would  be  of  the  largest  possible  ad- 
vantage to  the  strikers.  Every  point  was  brought  out  and 
thoroughly  discussed,  and  after  a  careful,  patient  and  ex- 
haustive review  of  the  situation, a  settlement  was  effected  which 
met  with  the  unanimous  approval  of  the  Joint  Committee. 

Prehminary  to  our  report  of  the  settlement,  we  desire 
to  introduce  the  following  documents,  which  are  self-explan- 
atory: 

Chicago,  Jan.  4,  1889. 

Mr.  E.  P.  Ripley,  General  Manager,  Chicago  : 

Dear  Sir:  The  enclosed  is  a  copy  of  the  communica- 
tion which  I  was  directed  to  give  to  the  Committee  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers  and  Firemen,  who 
have  been  in  conference  with  us  today,  which  was  accepted 
by  them,  and  they  have  declared  the  strike  settled. 

lb  is  important  that  no  question  should  arise  as  to  the 
good  faith  of  the  company,  and  it  is  our  desire  and  intention 
that  there  should  be  no  opportunity  for  such  question. 

As  to  the  meaning  of  the  word  "available,"  I  desire  to 
say  that  when  it  becomes  necessary  to  employ  men  outside  of 
those  now  in  the  service,  care  must  be  taken  to  consider  all 
the  qualifications  that  go  to  make  up  availability,  including 
experience  and  familiarity  with  our  surroundings  and  rules. 
In  short,  that  the  very  best  men  are  to  be  selected,  regardless 
of  personal  relations  or  prejudices  for  or  against  any  men  or 
class  of  men. 

It  should  be  further  fully  understood  that  the  company 
does  not  desire  to  pursue  those  who  have  been  guilty  of  im- 
proper conduct  during  the  late  strike,  and  while  such  men 


108  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    OX    THE    Q. 

cannot  be  re-employed,  and  while  we  cannot  give  letters  to 
them,  no  officer  or  employe  .should  continue  the  animosities 
of  the  conflict  after  it  is  over,  or  interfere  to  prevent  the  em- 
ployment of  such  men  elsewhere.      Yours  truly, 

Henry  B.  Stone. 
Similar  letters  will  be  sent  to  all  the  officers  in  charge  of 
our  different  properties,   and  by  them  transmitted  to  their 
operating  officers.  H.  B.  Stone. 


WESTERN  UNION  TELEGRAPH  COMPANY. 

Boston,  Jan.  3,  1889. 
To  Henry  B.  Stone,  Vice  President  C,  B.  &  Q.Rij.,  Chicago: 

I  did  not  telegraph  yesterday,  as  you  requested,  because 
it  seemed  important  under  the  circumstances,  and  since  we 
have  been  asked  by  the  engineers  to  say  what  our  position  is, 
that  it  should  be  done  with  the  authority  of  the  whole  Execu- 
tive Committee.  The  Committee  is  now  in  session,  and  I  am 
authorized  and  instructed  to  send  you  the  following: 

"The  company  will  not  follow  up,  black  list,  or  in  any 
manner  attempt  to  proscribe  those  who  were  concerned  in  the 
strike,  but,  on  the  contrary,  will  cheerfully  give  to  all  who 
have  not  been  guilty  of  violence,  or  other  improper  conduct, 
letters  of  introduction,  showing  their  record  in  our  service, 
and  will,  in  all  proper  ways,  assist  them  in  finding  employment. 

"The  first  duty  of  the  management  is  to  those  who  are  in 
the  company's  employ,  and  we  must  remember,  and  protect 
their  interests  by  promotions,  and  by  every  other  means  in  our 
power.  Beyond  this,  if  it  should  become  necessary  to  go  out- 
side of  the  service  for  men  in  any  capacity,  it  is  our  intention 
to  select  the  best  men  available,  and  in  making  selections, 
not  to  exclude  those  who  were  engaged  in  the  strike  of 
February  27,  if  they  are  the  best  men  available,  and  provided 
they  have  not  since  been  guilty  of  violence  and  other  improper 
conduct." 

You  are  authorized  to  give  a  copy  of  this  message  to  the 
engineers  who  called  upon  you. 

[Signed]  C.  E.  Perkins. 


Chicago,  Jan.  4,  1889. 
Mr.  A.  R.  Cavener,  Chairman  Committee  Brotherhood  Locomo- 
tive Engineers  : 
Dear  Sir:  The  above  is  a  copy  of  a  telegram  received 
yesterday  from  Mr.  Perkins,  our  President,  and  which,  in  ac- 
cordance with  his  instructions,  I  have  submitted  to  you,  and 
which  has  been  fully  discussed  with  you  and  your  Committee. 

Yours  truly,        Henry  B.  Stone. 


Chicago,  Jan.  4,  1889. 
Mr.  Henry  B.  Stone,  Second  Vice  President: 

Dear  Sir:     We,  the  undersigned  Committee,  in  behalf  of 
our  respective  organizations — Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  En- 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  109 

gineers  and  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Firemen— and  as  rep- 
resentatives of  the  ex-employes  of  the  Burlington  system,  who 
left  the  services  of  said  company  February  27,  ]  888,  or  later, 
on  account  of  the  strike,  approve  of  the  foregoing  agreement, 
and  hereby  declare  the  strike  of  the  said  ex-employes  as  set- 
tled. Yours  truly, 

Alex.  R.  Cayenee,  Wm.  C.  Hates, 

A.  W.  Pekley,  A.  W.  Logan, 

T.    HOLLINRAKE,  EDW.  KENT, 

Thos.  Humphreys,         T.  P.  Bellows, 
A.  Le  May,  S.  W.  Dixon, 

L.  Mooney. 

The  Joint  Committee  submitted  their  report  to  the 
Grand  Officers  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  and  B.  of  L.  F.,  and  the  set- 
tlement "met  with  their  entire  and  unqualified  approval." 
The  Grand  Officers,  therefore,  issued  a  circular  to  their  re- 
spective Divisions  and  Lodges,  under  date  of  January  7,  1889, 
in  which  they  say  'The  strike  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomo- 
tive Engineers  and  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Firemen  on 
the  C,  B.  &  Q.  railway  system,  inaugurated  February  27,  1888, 
is  hereby  officially  declared  at  an  end,  and  the  striking  em- 
ployes are  now  at  liberty  to  make  applications  for  situations 
on  said  system." 

The  purpose  of  this  circular  is  to  advise  the  striking 
switchmen  who  desire  to  be  re-employed,  to  file  their  appli- 
cations at  their  respective  Division  headquarters,  on  or  before 
February  1,  1889.  This  advice  is  given  at  the  request  of  the 
officials  of  the  company.  Applications  filed  after  February  1 
will  not  be  considered. 

The  settlement  may  not  be  all  that  might  be  expected 
or  desired,  but  it  seems  to  be  the  best  that  could  be  secured 
under  the  condition  of  things,  and  I  hope  it  will  be  received 
in  good  faith,  and  that  all  hostility  will  cease. 

In  closing,  I  urge  upon  switchmen,  members  of  our  As- 
sociation, to  exert  their  influence  in  securing  situations  for 
the  ex-employes  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  system. 

Yours  fraternally,    Feank  Sweeney, 
Grand  Master  S.  M.  A.  A.  of  N.  A. 

The  letters  herein  printed  are  given  without 
comment,   further  than  to  say  that  as  they  seem  to 


110         THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q. 

have  some  bearing  on  the  settlement,  they  were  evi- 
dently intended  for  that  purpose. 

The  business  of  the  Burlington,  as  with  the  other 
western  roads  at  this  time,  is  but  little  over  half  its 
usual  volume.  No  switchmen,  engineers  or  firemen 
returned  to  the  employ  of  that  company  during  Jan- 
uary. Advices  from  along  the  entire  system  indicate 
the  same  condition  of  affairs  at  the  present  date,  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1889.  The  new  men,  laid  off  on  account  of 
dull  business,  still  remain  on  hand,  and  as  business 
increases  they  will  return  to  work,  and  not  until  their 
ranks  are  exhausted  will  there  beany  vacancies  for  the 
old  men.  The  probabilities  are,  that  several  months 
will  elapse  before  any  of  the  strikers  will  be  needed 
by  the  Burlington  road. 

The  following  letters  having  been  made  public  by 
the  Grand  Officers  of  the  firemen,  through  the  medium 
of  their  magazine,  we  violate  no  confidence  in  giving 
them  publicity  here.  We  particularly  desire  to  print 
them,  from  the  fact  that  they  indicate  a  condition  of 
affairs  in  relation  to  the  settlement  that  should  be 
made  known  to  the  general  public.  The  letters  and 
comments  are  from  the  Februarv,  1889,  number  of  the 
Firemen's  Magazine. 

"  The  B.  of  L.  E.,  at  its  Bichmond  Convention,  not 
only  declined  to  repeal  laws,  the  enactment  of  which 
was  an  indignity  of  such  unquestioned  insolence,  that 
'  a  wayfaring  man  though  a  fool '  need  not  err  in 
comprehending  the  outrage,  but  in  its  deliberations 
relating  to  ending  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  strike,  it  concluded 
to  ignore  the  B.  of  L.  F.  entirely,  as  if  the  Order  had 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  Ill 

no  interests  at  stake  and  was  unworthy  of  notice.  In 
proof  of  this  we  introduce  here  an  extract  of  a  letter 
from  P.  M.  Arthur,  Grand  Chief,  dated  November  5, 
1888,  which  is  conclusive: 

"  The  Convention  also  decided  to  appoint  a  Committee 
of  nine,  with  Bro.  Alex.  Cavener  as  chairman,  to  determine 
when  the  strike  shall  end  on  the  C.,B.  &  Q.  Bro.  Cavener  will 
first  go  over  that  system,  and  see  how  the  situation  is,  and 
address  the  men  at  the  different  places  on  the  line,  in  view  of 
a  settlement.  After  which  he  will  convene  his  Committee  and 
they  are  to  decide  when  the  trouble  shall  end,  and  no  one  but 
themselves  is  to  knoiv  the  result  until  they  report  to  the  Grand 
Officers. 

"We  have  italicised  certain  expressions  in  Grand 
Chief  Arthur's  letter  to  Grand  Master  Sargent,  to 
enable  our  readers  to  see  how  effectually  the  B.  of  L. 
F.  was  squelched,  left  out  in  the  cold,  disregarded  and 
tabooed  by  the  B.  of  L.  E.  in  the  'settlement' of  the 
strike. 

"  In  reply  to  Grand  Chief  Arthur's  letter  of  No- 
vember 5,  we  here  introduce  extracts  from  Grand 
Master  Sargent's  letter  of  November  7 : 

P.  M.  Arthur,  Esq. : 

Dear  Sir  and  Brother:  I  am  in  receipt  of  your  com- 
munication of  November  5,  written  by  S.  G.  E.  Bro.  Everett, 
and  I  have  noted  its  contents  carefully  and  I  must  acknowledge 
that  I  am  disappointed  in  the  action  taken  at  Richmond  on 
the  question  of  federation. 

Referring  to  the  strike,  I  had  hoped  that  your  Conven- 
tion would  end  it,  believing  as  I  do  that  it  is  a  useless  waste 
of  time  and  money  to  continue  it  any  longer.  We  are  already 
feeling  the  strain  ourselves;  my  mail  is  continually  filled  with 
communications  coming  from  the  officers  of  the  Subordi- 
nate Lodges,  appealing  to  me  in  behalf  of  their  members  to 
excuse  them  from  paying  the  heavy  assessments  which  we 

8 


112  THE    GEE  AT    STRIKE    OX    THE    Q. 

have  been  compelled  to  levy.      Others  are  prepared  to  sur- 
nder  their  charters,  and  the  situation  is  anything  but  agree- 
able to  me.     There  can  be  no  change,  however,  until  such 
time  as  the  strike  is  declared  off.    And  we  will  be  compelled 
to  contribute  to  the  support  of  these  men  for  a  longtime  after, 
-  many  of  them  will  be  without  situations.     "Whatever  may 
be  the  decision  of  the  Committee  which  you  have  appointed.  I 
hope  that  they  will  bear  in  mind  that  the  Brotherhood  of  Lo- 
motive  Firemen  are  just  as  much  interested  in  this  strike 
is  the  Brotherhood  of  tocomotive  Engineers  and  that  they 
will  also  consider  this  claim,  that  the  members  of  the  Broth- 
erhood of  Firemen  are  not  all  wealthy  men. 

"In  reply  to  Grand  Master  Sargent's  letter  of  the 
7ifc  Grant  Chief  Arthur  writes  as  follows,  under  date 
of  November  9  : 

In  regard  to  the  strike  we  are  deeply  sensible  of  the  cir- 
cumstances by  which  you  are  surrounded,  and  nothing  could 
have  been  further  from  our  thought  than  to  ignore  you  or  your 
Brotherhood,  but  in  view  of  the  fact  that  your  Convention 
adjourned  without  action  touchiDg  that  matter,  and  as  you 
had  expressed  a  hope  that  our  Convention  should  declare  it 
off,  it  was  deemed  wise  to  take  steps  to  fix  a  time  to  end  it 
without  giving  any  aid  or  comfort  to  the  company. 

This  is  what  was  kept  in  view  and  the  welfare  of  the  fire- 
men in  it  was  as  much  an  object  as  was  that  of  tUe  engineers, 
and  when  the  Committee  reports  you  will  be  fully  informed  of 
the  course  decided  upon. 

"We  are  not  disposed  to  indulge  in  severity  of  lan- 
guage in  criticising  Grand  Chief  Arthur's  letter  to 
Grand  Master  Sargent,  of  November  9.  It  is  easily 
en  that  Mr.  Arthur  was  not  only  'deeply  sensible' of  the 
circumstances  which  'surrounded'  the  B.  of  L.  F.,  but 
was  quite  as  -Jet- ply  sensible'  that  the  circumstances 
'which  surrounded'  the  B.  of  L.  E.  were  of  character 
which  he  found  it  exceedingly  difficult  to  explain. 
When  the  B.  of  L.  E.  deliberately  'ignored'  the  B.  of 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    OX    THE    Q.  113 

L.  F.,  giving  it  a  direct  slap  in  the  face  in  a  matter  in 
which  the  interests  of  its  members  were  vitally  in- 
volved, the  declarations  of  the  Grand  Chief  'that 
nothing  could  have  been  further  from  our  thoughts 
than  to  ignore  you  or  your  Brotherhood,'  the  very 
climax  of  irony  is  reached.  Look  at  it :  here  were 
two  great  Brotherhoods  engaged  in  a  life  and  death 
struggle  with  a  powerful  corporation.  It  had  cost 
them  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars.  Firemen,  with 
a  fidelity  bom  of  heroism  worthy  of  monuments  of 
marble,  had  stood  by  the  engineers  until  they  were 
impoverished.  At  this  supreme  juncture,  the  B.  of 
L.  E.  concludes  to  take  steps  to  terminate  the  strike. 
Does  it  consider  the  interc  — .  :he  rights,  the  sacrirk  - 
of  the  B.  of  L.  F.'?  No,  not  in  the  least.  There  is 
no  word,  no  sign  of  recognition.  On  the  contrary  the 
action  of  the  B.  of  L.  E.  is  that  of  the  most  offensive 
ostracism.  There  is  not  so  much  as  a  squint  at  co- 
operation or  federation.  The  gush  and  slush  about  the 
'twin  Brotherhoods'  disappears,  and  yet  Grand  Chief 
Arthur  declares,  as  if  he  expected  his  assertion  would 
be  accepted  as  true,  that  in  the  appointment  of  a  Com- 
mittee of  nine,  clothed  with  full  power  to  settle  the 
strike,  in  which  no  reference  was  made  to  the  B.  of  L. 
F.  or  to  its  interests,  'nothing  could  have  been  further 
from  our  thought  than  to  ignore'  the  B.  of  L.  F.  It 
is  sufficient  to  say  that  the  declaration  of  Grand  Chief 
Arthur  was  not  accepted  as  conclusive.  It  is  neither 
an  apology  nor  an  explanation.  Indeed.it  only  serves 
to  emphasize  the  fact  that  the  B.  of  L.  E.  deliberately 
and  purposely  ignored  the  B.  of  L.  P. 


114         THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q. 

"Proceeding  with  the  history,  it  will  be  seen  that 
Mr.  Alexander  E.  Cavener,  Chairman  of  the  Committee 
of  nine  engineers,  proceeded  to  carry  out  his  instruc- 
tions. He  went  over  the  roads  of  the  '  Q '  system, 
he  held  meetings  and  obtained  information.  He  as- 
sembled his  Committee  of  engineers  and  made  his 
reports.  The  conclusion  was  to  declare  the  strike  at 
an  end.  In  all  of  this  no  fireman  had  been  consulted 
— no  attention  paid  to  the  B.  of  L.  F.  officers  or  men. 
There  had  been  neither  co-operation  nor  federation — 
no  allusion  to  the  'twin  (?)  Brotherhoods.' 

"At  this  juncture,  Mr.  Alexander  B.  Cavener, 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  nine,  bethought  him- 
self of  the  fact  that  there  was  such  a  Brotherhood  as 
the  B.  of  L.  F.  The  B.  of  L.  E.  had  not  authorized  him 
to  indulge  such  a  thought,  but  he  did  remember  it  and 

sent  the  following  telegram : 

Chicago,  Dec.  27,  1888. 
Sargent  and  Debs: 

Can  you  select  a  Committee  of  your  Order  to  act  in  con- 
junction with  our  Committee?  Meet  us  at  Commercial  Hotel 
morning  of  December  29. 

[Signed]  Alex.  R.  Cavener. 

"  This  was  the  first  intimation  the  B.  of  L.  F.  had 
that  the  B.  of  L.  E.,  or  the  Committee  of  nine,  recog- 
nized that  the  B.  of  L.  F.  had  any  interest  whatever 
in  the  '  Q '  strike,  or  in  the  settlement  of  the  strike. 
Grand  Master  Sargent  was  not  in  Terre  Haute  when 
the  message  was  received,  and  Grand  Secretary  and 
Treasurer  Debs,  of  the  B.  of  L.  F.,  replied  as  follows : 

Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  Dec.  27,  1888. 
Grand  Master  Sargent  is  expected  home  from  the  East 
this  evening,  and  your  message  will  be  referred  to  him  on  his 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  115 

arrival.  For  myself  I  do  not  favor  the  appointment  of  a  Com- 
mittee such  as  you  suggest  at  this  time.  The  invitation  for 
joint  procedure  comes  too  late  in  the  day.  I  have  no  doubt 
our  regular  Committee  representing  the  C.  B.  &  Q.,  now  at 
Chicago,  will  be  amply  able  to  look  after  our  interests. 

E.  V.  Debs. 

'•'Upon  the  arrival  of  Grand  Master  Sargent  the 
following  message  was  sent  to  Chairman  Cavener,  at 
Chicago : 

Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  Dec.  29,  1888. 
A.  R.  Cavener,  Commercial  Hotel,  Chicago,  III.: 

Keferring  to  your  telegram  we  have  to  say,  that  in  our 
opinion  we  should  have  been  given  an  opportunity  of  being 
represented  in  the  tour  of  inspection  of  the  "  Q"  system.  We 
are  in  the  habit  of  acting  for  ourselves  in  such  matters,  and 
hence  we  are  not  disposed  at  this  late  hour  to  join  in  the 
"amen"  to  what  has  been  done.  If  we  were  not  capable  of 
doing  our  part  from  the  beginning  we  are  not  willing  to  join 
issues  now.  We  respectfully  decline  to  appoint  any  Commit- 
tee for  the  purpose  suggested  in  your  telegram. 

[Signed]  F.  P.  Sargent,  Grand  Master. 

E.  V.  Debs,  Grand  Sec.  &  Treas. 

"  The  refusal  of  the  B.  of  L.  F.  to  appoint  a  Com- 
mittee to  act  with  the  engineers'  Committee  was  ad- 
versely criticised,  and  resulted  in  sending  to  Terre 
Haute  a  Committee  of  two,  Bro.  E.  H.  Lacy,  Chairman 
of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  Committee,  having  charge  of  strike 
affairs,  and  Bro.  George  Godding.  These  men  visited 
Terre  Haute,  and,  acting  under  advice,  represented  to 
Grand  Master  Sargent  that  it  was  important  that  a 
Committee  should  be  appointed  to  represent  the  fire- 
men on  the  Committee  of  engineers. 


XDJ 


116         THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q. 

"  Grand  Master  Sargent  thereupon  transmitted  to 
Grand  Chief  Arthur  the  following  message  : 

Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  Jan.  2,  1889. 
P.  M.  Arthur,  Cleveland,  Ohio: 

I  have  been  requested  by  A.  R.  Cavener,  Chairman  of 
Committee  at  Chicago,  to  appoint  a  Committee  of  firemen  to 
act  with  them  in  the  matter  now  before  them.  Will  you  in- 
form me  if  he  has  the  authority  to  do  this,  and  if  you  approve 
of  the  same  as  the  Executive  of  the  Order?  Has  this  Com- 
mittee full  power  to  act  regardless  of  you?  Answer  at  my 
expense. 

[Signed]  F.  P.  Sargent,  Grand  Master. 

"  In  response  to  the  foregoing,  the  following  reply 
was  received  from  Grand  Chief  Arthur: 

Cleveland,  O.,  Jan.  2,  1889. 
Frank  P.  Sargent : 

Would  advise  you  to  grant  Cavener's  request  in  the  in- 
terest of  peace  and  harmony.  He  has  not  complied  with  my 
instructions,  but  I  waive  all  in  favor  of  having  an  end  put  to 

the  strike. 

P.  M.  Arthur. 

"  Upon  receipt  of  this  message,  Grand  Master  Sar- 
gent appointed  Bros.  S.  W.  Dixon,  of  Baraboo,  Wis., 
and  L.  Mooney,  of  St.  Joe,  Mo.,  a  Committee  to  repre- 
sent the  B.  of  L.  F.'s  interests,  as  set  forth  in  the  fol-' 
lowing  communication  addressed  to  Chairman  Cavener 
of  the  B.  of  L.E.  Committee  under  date  of  January  2 : 

Grand  Lodge  j 

Brotherhood  or  Locomotive  Firemen.  >■ 

Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  Jan.  2,  1889.  ) 

A.  R.  Cavener,  Esq.,  and  members  of  the  Committee  representing 
the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers  and  the  inter- 
ests of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  engineers  engaged  in  the  present 
strike: 

Gentlemen  and  Brothers:  It  is  not  necessary  for  me 
to  introduce  myself  to  you  honorable  gentlemen,  as  I  am,  no 
doubt,  known  to  you  both  officially  and  socially,  and  I  will 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  117 

proceed  fro  place  before  you  certain  facts,  and  at  the  same  time 
explain  to  you  the  reason  of  my  forwarding  the  message  to 
Bro.  Cavener,  Chairman  of  your  Committee,  signed  jointly  by 
Bro.  Debs  and  myself,  in  reply  to  a  request  made  by  Bro. 
Cavener  for  us  to  appoint  a  Committee  representing  the  fire- 
men to  go  with  you  before  the  officials  of  the  Burlington 
system.  I  desire  to  trespass  upon  your  valuable  time  long 
enough  to  call  your  attention  to  the  original  compact  entered 
into  between  the  engineers  and  firemen  in  the  beginning  of 
this  eventful  strike.  It  was  understood  that  in  all  our  dealings 
both  as  Committees  and  as  executive  officers  among  ourselves, 
or  when  before  the  officers  of  the  company,  that  we  should 
act  together.  I  am  not  disposed  at  this  time  to  pass  any  criti- 
cism whatever  upon  the  action  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Loco- 
motive Engineers  or  upon  any  of  its  executive  officers;  I  simply 
wish  to  call  attention  to  this  matter  in  a  fair  and  unbiased 
light. 

"When  our  Convention  convened  at  Atlanta,  the  situa- 
tion of  the  Brotherhood  was  not  of  an  encouraging  nature; 
we  were  incumbered  with  debt;  we  knew  that  we  could  not  as 
a  body,  take  any  action  in  the  matter  of  the  strike,  except  to 
provide  means  for  the  maintenance  of  the  men  engaged  there- 
in, until  such  time  as  the  Convention  of  your  honorable  body 
had  convened  and  decided  upon  what  they  believed  to  be  the 
best  course  to  pursue.  We  provided  means  for  the  further 
sustenance  of  our  men  and  awaited  the  action  of  your 
body.  Being  honored  with  an  invitation  to  be  present  in 
Richmond  as  a  guest  of  your  Brotherhood,  I  was  able  to  meet 
with  many  of  the  prominent  members,  together  with  the 
Grand  Officers,  and  I  presented,  when  the  opportunity  offered, 
my  exact  position  as  an  Executive  Official,  stating,  that  we, 
as  an  organization,  Avere  willing,  at  all  times  to  do  anything 
that  was  honorable  toward  bringing  about  a  satisfactory  set- 
tlement of  the  difficulty.  I  was  assured  that  some  action 
would  be  taken  whereby  some  means  would  be  devised  which 
would  lead  to  the  ending  of  the  strike.  I  returned  home,  and 
shortly  after  the  termination  of  your  Convention,  I  received 
an  official  communication  from  Grand  Chief  Arthur,  in  which 
he  informed  me  that  a  Committee  of  nine  had  been  appointed 
with  Bro.  Alex.  R.  Cavener  as  Chairman,  to  determine  when  the 
strike  should  end  on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.;  that  Bro.  Cavener  should 


118  THE    GREAT-  STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

first  go  over  the  system  and  see  what  the  situation  was,  and 
address  the  men  at  different  places  along  the  line  in  view  of 
a  settlement;  after  which  he  would  convene  the  Committee, 
and  they  were  to  decide  when  the  trouble  should  end,  and 
no  one  but  themselves  was  to  know  the  result  until  after  re- 
porting to  the  Grand  Office.  I  immediately  wrote  a  letter  to 
Grand  Chief  Arthur,  in  which  I  expressed  a  feeling  of  dissat- 
isfaction on  account  of  the  firemen  not  being  requested  to 
to  appoint  members  of  the  organization  to  represent  them; 
I  believed  that  if  there  was  a  representative  of  the  engineers 
organization  going  over  the  system  that  there  should  also  be 
a  representative  of  the  firemen  accompanying  him.  I  may 
have  been  wrong  in  my  view,  still  I  have  seen  nothing  yet  to 
change  my  opinion.  In  reply  to  my  letter  to  Grand  Chief 
Arthur,  he  stated  that  it  was  not  the  intention  to  ignore  us  in 
any  manner,  but  as  I  had  expressed  the  hope  that  his  Con- 
vention would  devise  the  means  of  ending  the  strike,  it  was 
deemed  wise  to  take  steps  and  fix  a  time  to  end  it  without 
giving  any  aid  or  comfort  to  the  company.  He  further  stated 
that  the  firemen  and  their  welfare  were  kept  in  view,  and  that 
when  the  Committee  made  its  report  that  I  would  be  fully  in- 
formed of  the  course  decided  upon,  no  intimation  being  made, 
however,  that  I  was  at  liberty  to  appoint  any  firemen  to  go  in 
conjunction  with  the  Committee  of  engineers.  While  the  com- 
munication did  not  just  meet  my  views,  I  said  to  my  associate, 
"  We  will  await  the  report  of  this  Committee."  A  few  days 
after  I  visited  Cleveland  and  had  a  conversation  with  Grand 
Chief  Arthur,  in  which  I  again  broached  this  matter,  and  was 
again  informed  by  him  that  it  was  no  intention  on  the  part  of 
the  Convention  to  ignore  the  firemen  and  that  our  interests 
were  considered  equally  with  theirs.  He  furthermore  informed 
me  regarding  the  authority  delegated  to  the  Committee,  and 
led  me  to  believe  that  all  you  could  do  was  simply  to  assem- 
bly receive  the  report  of  Bro.  Cavener,  and  then  recommend 
what  further  action  should  be  taken  by  the  Grand  Officers 
when  we  should  convene  as  Grand  Officers  and  decide  the 
issue.  A  few  days  after  this  I  was  present  in  the  city  of  St. 
Paul,  and  had  a  pleasant  interview  with  Bro.  Hayes,  who  is,  I 
believe,  a  member  of  your  Committee.  I  expressed  to  Bro. 
Hayes  my  opinion,  and  I  desire  to  say  I  found  him  exceedingly 
courteous,  and  he  coincided  with  my  views,  saying  it  was  all 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q.  119 

due  to  an  oversight  and  that  lie  would  communicate  with 
Grand  Chief  Arthur  on  the  subject.  I  stated  to  Bro.  Hayes 
that  if  Grand  Chief  Arthur  requested  of  me  the  appointment  of 
a  Committee,  I  would  gladly  do  so;  nothing  more  was  heard  of 
the  matter.  I  was  receiving  communications  daily  from  all 
sections  of  the  country,  asking  why  the  firemen  were  not 
represented  on  this  Committee;  such  communications  I 
answered  in  as  honorable  a  manner  as  I  knew  how,  placing  no 
censure  upon  any  one  and  saying  nothing  that  would  in  any 
manner,  lead  intelligent  men  to  think  we  had  any  desire  to 
antagonize. 

In  my  absence  from  the  city  Bro.  Debs  received  a  tele- 
gram from  Bro.  Cavener,  requesting  us  to  appoint  a  com- 
mittee. Bro.  Debs  answered  the  message,  expressing  his 
sentiments,  not  for  the  purpose  of  creating  ill-feeling,  but 
simply  to  place  us  and  our  Order  before  the  Committee  in  an 
honorable  light.  Upon  my  return  the  message  was  submitted 
to  me,  and  in  view  of  the  fact  that  throughout  this  entire 
strike  we  have  acted  jointly,  believing  that  we  should  have 
been  requested  to  make  appointments  on  that  Committee  of 
engineers,  and  in  view  of  the  further  fact  that  at  the  time  of 
learning  officially  of  the  action  of  the  Committee,  I  wrote  to 
Grand  Chief  Arthur,  calling  his  attention  to  my  feelings  and 
afterward  in  my  conversation  with  Brother  Hayes,  in  which  I 
gave  him  to  understand  that  if  Grand  Chief  Arthur  would  re- 
quest of  me  the  appointing  of  a  Committee  that  I  would  gladly 
do  so.  I  believer,  as  did  Bro.  Debs,  that  it  was  entirely  wrong 
to  ask  us  to  send  a  Committee  to  go  before  the  officers  of  the 
company  after  the  Committee's  work  in  a  large  measure  had 
been  accomplished.  When  I  say  "Committee's  work"  I  refer  to 
the  Chairman,  who  had  been  over  the  system  interviewing 
men  and  observing  the  situation  while  we  were  not  represent- 
ed nor  even  requested  to  be;  and  for  this  reason  our  mes- 
sage was  sent.  This  morning  a  Committee  of  two  of  the  Gen- 
eral Committee  representing  the  firemen  on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.K. 
R.  presented  the  position  you  occupy  and  authority  delegated 
to  you  by  your  Grand  Body.  After  a  careful  consideration  of 
the  matter  and  a  desire  to  bring  about  an  amicable  settlement 
of  the  present  difficulty,  create  harmony  and  good  will  be- 
tween all  labor  organizations,  especially  our  co-workers,  the 
engineers,  we  have  wired   the  following  message  to  Grand 


120  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

Chief  Arthur:  "I  have  been  requested  by  A.  K.  Cavener, 
Chairman  of  Committee  at  Chicago,  to  appoint  a  committee  of 
firemen  to  act  with  others  in  the  matter  now  before  them. 
Will  you  inform  me  if  he  has  the  authority  to  do  this  and  if 
you  approve  of  the  same  as  the  Executive  of  the  Order?  Has 
this  Committee  fall  power  to  act  regardless  of  you?  Answer  at 
my  expense." 

Considering  the  correspondence  and  conversation  we 
have  had  on  this  subject  with  Grand  Chief  Arthur,  it  is  no 
more  than  right  that  he  should,  as  an  executive  of  the  organ- 
ization he  represents,  endorse  the  appointing  of  a  Committee 
representing  the  firemen,  to  take  part  in  these  deliberations. 
Upon  receiving  his  reply,  if  he  endorses  your  request,  I  shall 
immediately  instruct  two  members  of  our  Order,  who  are  in- 
telligent, capable  and  somewhat  familiar  with  the  situation,  to 
report  to  you  at  once.  lean  assure  you  that  whatever  you 
decide  upon  doing,  these  representatives  will  acquiesce  in 
so  long  as  it  is  to  the  interests  of  the  organizations  involved. 

I  am  sorry  that  there  should  be  any  misunderstanding 
on  account  of  this  matter,  but  I  think  time  will  demonstrate 
to  intelligent,  thinking  minds  that  the  position  taken  by  the 
Grand  Officers  of  the  B.  of  L.  F.  has  been  an  honorable  one, 
and  all  we  ask  is  that  consideration  which  all  honest  men  are 
entitled  to.  We  may  differ  in  opinion,  but  that  we  have  a 
right  to  do,  and  when  it  comes  to  a  matter  of  such  grave  im- 
portance as  the  one  that  now  presents  itself  for  our  consider- 
ation, we  should  set  aside  all  personal  feeling;;  and  act  to  the 
best  interests  of  those  we  represent. 

I  can  assure  you,  gentlemen,  that  you  have  the  best 
wishes  of  the  Grand  Officers  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomo- 
tive Firemen,  and  we  only  trust  that  through  your  delibera- 
tions may  come  such  good  results  as  will  redound  in  honor  to 
yourselves  as  well  as  to  the  organization  which  you  repre- 
sent. Yours  fraternally, 

F.  P.  Sabgent. 

"In  this  connection  it  becomes  necessary  to  state 
that  among  other  things  charged  in  support  of  the 
allegations  that  the  B.  of  L.  F.  is  responsible  for 
the  failure  of  the  strike,  is  a  letter  written  by  Grand 


THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q.         121 

Master  Sargent  in  reply  to  a  letter  received  from  Bro. 
J.  E.  Kline,  of  Plattsmouth,  Neb.  As  special  efforts 
have  been  made  to  misrepresent  Grand  Master  Sargent 
in  the  matter,  we  here  give  the  full  text  of  the  corres- 
pondence : 

Plattsmouth,  Neb.,  Dec.  6,  1888. 
F.  P.  Sargent,  Esq.,  Grand  Master : 

Dear  Sir  and  Brother  :  Yours  of  recent  date  to  Bro. 
Zinn  was  referred  to  me,  and  I  was  requested  to  ask  for  in- 
formation. Since  you  cannot  assure  us  our  support  after  No- 
vember, can  you  give  us  any  encouragement  in  regard  to  the 
Committee  of  nine,  with  Cavener  at  the  head,  which  was  ap- 
pointed at  the  late  Engineers'  Convention?  We  have  been 
notified  that  they  would  put  on  the  boycott,  which  I  think  is 
the  only  means  to  win  this  fight.  I  am  very  much  afraid  that 
this  strike  is  lost,  and  that  we  (the  men  on  the  Q.)  are  sac- 
rificed. I  have  been  a  Brotherhood  fireman  about  two  years, 
and  have  done  everything  in  my  power  to  promote  the  Order, 
and  I  have  always  thought  that  nothing  could  break  our  or- 
ganization, but  I  am  afraid  if  this  strike  is  lost,  that  we  fall 
beneath  the  heels  of  capital;  yet  I  am  satisfied  that  some 
move  can  be  made  by  our  Order  to  crush  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  into 
submission.  Now,  in  regard  to  some  of  the  strikers  refusing 
employment  on  other  roads,  preferring  to  lay  idle  on  the 
forty  ($40)  dollars  paid  us  for  so  doing,  I  think  is  false,  and  I 
am  satisfied  I  can  convince  your  informant.  In  the  first  place, 
well  do  you  know  that  there  are  many  roads  that  want  men, 
but  refuse  to  employ  C,  B.  &  Q.  strikers,  until  the  strike  is 
declared  off.  Furthermore,  we  have  men  working  on  all  the 
roads  in  the  country  that  will  employ  strikers.  I  am  sorry 
that  those  men  who  are  being  expelled  for  non-payment,  can- 
not see  that  it  is  to  their  benefit  to  sacrifice  a  few  dollars  per 
month,  while  we  who  are  in  the  fight  sacrifice  on  an  average 
of  thirty-five  ($35)  dollars  per  month.  I  would  to  God  that 
those  men  have  their  wages  cut  down  one-half  in  the  next 
twenty-four  hours.  In  conclusion,  I  ask  you  your  candid 
opinion  in  regard  to  the.  boycott.    Please  let  me  hear  from  you 

at  once. 

Sincere^  yours,  Jno.  E.  Kline. 


} 


122  THE    GREAT    STRIKE    ON    THE    Q. 

Grand  Lodge 
Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Firemen, 

Terre  Haute,  Lnd.,  Dec.  14,  1888. 

Dear  Sir  and  Brother  :  Your  favor  of  December  6 
came  to  hand  during  my  absence  from  the  city,  which  accounts 
for  a  delayed  answer.  I  cannot  give  you  any  information  of 
the  action  of  the  Committee  appointed  by  the  engineers  in 
their  Convention,  other  than  what  I  received  from  Grand 
Chief  Arthur  and  one  member  of  the  Committee.  I  have 
heard  that  it  was  the  intention  of  the  Committee  to  end  the 
strike;  but  I  can  say  to  you  honestly  and  candidly,  that  so  far 
as  a  boycott  is  concerned  it  is  simply  nonsense  to  talk  about  it. 
Any  sane  man  who  will  carefully  consider  the  present  situa- 
tion of  the  C  ,  B.  &  Q.,  and  the  condition  of  our  organization, 
would  see  the  folly  of  our  contemplating  such  a  step.  The 
day  for  boycott  has  long  gone  by;  there  was  a  time  when  it 
could  have  been  put  into  effect,  and  something  accomplished 
by  it,  had  there  been  any  disposition  on  the  part  of  a  large 
number  of  men  to  maintain  it,  but  any  man  who  was  a  witness 
of  the  situation  at  Chicago,  during  the  time  of  the  boycott, 
would  see  the  folly  of  talking  about  one  in  this  instance;  and 
I  must  say  to  you  very  firmly  and  honestly,  that  the  Brother- 
hood of  Locomotive  Firemen,  as  an  organization,  will  have 
nothing  whatever  to  do  with  a  boycott,  no  matter  what  Mr. 
Cavener's  statements  may  be.  I  am  waiting  for  the  report  of 
this  Committee  which  has  been  appointed  by  the  engineers. 
"When  their  report  comes  in,  if  they  have  no  way  of  ending  the 
strike,  I  will  find  a  way  of  getting  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomo- 
tive Firemen  out  of  it,  and  I  will  go  to  work  and  endeavor  to 
find  employment  for  our  members  who  are  not  able  to  find  it 
themselves.  It  is  a  very  good  idea  to  go  to  work  and  preach 
federation  and  all  these  different  doctrines,  and  then,  when  the 
time  comes  to  act  upon  them,  repudiate  them.  There  is  no 
man  who  appreciates  the  manly  stand  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  fire- 
men more  than  I,  and  there  is  no  one  in  a  better  position  to 
see  the  condition  of  the  organization  than  I  am.  I  am  speaking 
for  no  effect  other  than  to  express  my  honest  opinion.  The 
time  has  come  when  this  strike  must  end  and  the  men  must 
look  for  employment,  and  the  quicker  this  is  done  the  better  it 
will  be  for  all  concerned.  There  are  those  in  our  Order  who  are 
not  earning  $40  per  month  and  whose  wages  are  far  below  the 


THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q.         123 

wages  paid  on  the  Western  roads.  These  men  have  paid  their 
last  dollar  and  they  are  in  want;  their  families  must  have 
clothes,  they  must  have  fuel  to  keep  them  warm;  and  I  can 
tell  you  as  a  friend  and  brother  that  I  do  not  propose  to  drive 
such  men  out  of  the  organization  after  having  done  what  they 
could  to  maintain  the  strike.  As  soon  as  the  strike  is  off  we 
will  devote  our  time  and  attention  to  finding  employment  for 
such  men  as  desire  to  make  application  to  the  Grand  Officers. 

Let  the  consequences  be  what  they  will,  we  have  decided 
upon  the  stand  we  shall  take,  and  I  shall  take  it  as  an  official 
of  the  Order.  The  engineers  in  their  Convention  were  in- 
formed of  my  opinion,  as  was  Mr.Cavener,  and  it  seems  tome 
that  when  their  Committee  was  appointed,  it  would  have  been 
nothing  more  than  proper  courtesy  to  have  requested  one  of 
our  members  to  act  with  them.  This  they  did  not  do.  They 
say  it  was  an  oversight,  but  it  does  not  change  my  opinion  as 
to  their  duty.  I  have  learned  through  a  member  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  what  their  action  will  be;  and  I  desire  to  say  to  you 
as  a  brother,  with  the  best  feelings  towards  you  and  other 
members  of  your  Lodge  and  all  strikers,  that  the  advice  we 
gave  you  in  our  last  communication  was  for  yonr  best  interests 
as  well  as  to  the  interests  of  every  member  in  the  country. 
The  men  who  preach  boycott  had  better  be  engaged  in  bring- 
ing about  federation  of  the  different  organizations,  so  that 
they  may  act  in  harmony  one  with  another.  Better  be  men 
and  acknowledge  the  strike  lost,  look  for  work  and  get  them- 
selves in  a  position  to  fight  again  when  we  are  called  upon  to 
do  so. 

I  trust  you  will  receive  this  communication  in  the  spirit 
in  which  it  is  written,  as  I  desire  to  be  honest  with  you  and 
to  give  you  what  I  believe  the  best  advice  that  I  possibly  can, 
and,  mark  my  words,  the  day  will  come  when  you  will  say 
that  I  was  right.  It  may  be  when  I  am  officially  dead,  but  I 
know  what  the  final  result  will  be.  I  have  the  best  of  feeling 
for  the  engineers  on  the  Burlington  system,  they  have  done 
their  duty  and  done  it  manfully;  and  had  they  the  support 
which  they  ought  to  have  had,  the  result  of  the  strike  would 
have  been  very  different. 

Trusting  that  the  Brothers  have  decided  to  take  the 
advice  of  one  who  is  their  friend,  and  if  they  desire  assistance 


124         THE  GREAT  STRIKE  ON  THE  Q. 

in  the  way  of  positions  and  situations  that  they  will  apply 
for  them,  and  wishing  you  all  success,  I  remain, 

Yours  fraternally, 

Frank  P.  Sargent,  G.  M. 

"The  particular  charge  made  was  that  Grand 
Master  Sargent  had  advised  firemen  to  take  the  places 
of  engineers.  And  upon  this  gratuitous  falsehood 
every  conceivable  charge  has  been  rung.  It  will  be 
observed  that  there  is  not  so  much  as  an  intimation  of 
such  a  thing,  nor  can  any  amount  of  torture  of  Grand 
Master  Sargent's  language  make  it  convey  such  an 
idea." 


